Fellow Pond Scum
by dance-tilyou'redead
Summary: Quinn is forced to get a summer job to experience real life before going off to College. Quinn wonders how she'll be able to get along with her new coworkers. Rachel Berry, Santana, Brittany. M for language and sexy times. AU
1. Put on your Red Shoes

Quinn has to get a summer job in order to experience real life before going off to College. AU fic where Quinn went to Carmel instead of McKinley. I intend to introduce most of the beloved McKinley Crew as the story progresses.

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><p><em>It's just for a few months. It's just for a few months. It's just for a few months.<em>

Quinn looked down at the offensively bright uniform with a grimace. Her mother had laid it out for her freshly ironed. The gesture felt strangely misplaced considering the circumstances. Judy had forced Quinn into the worst kind of summer job imaginable and now that it's Quinn's first day she's been acting like it's going to be the most exciting time of her young life.

_Yeah I doubt it._

Quinn gingerly picked up the red three quarter pants which made up one third of her new uniform. She forced herself not to shudder away from the awful polyester fabric blend, making a mental note to stay away from any open flames.

_Just a few months. _She reminded herself forcefully and slipped her legs into the awful shorts/_fucking nightmare pants. _The button up blouse was equally offensive but in a different way. The fabric was easily as abrasive and just as bright but instead of solid red, the geniuses that had vomited out the _Chuck's Grill _uniform opted for a pin striped combination of red blue and white. The density of stripes gave that optical illusion swirl which was guaranteed to make Quinn hurl if one of her coworkers rushed towards her too quickly.

Quinn's _Coworkers. Fellow pond-scum. _Quinn was most apprehensive about meeting the undoubtedly unwashed individuals she would be whiling away her employment hours with. Her job interview was conducted by the store manager in an office space at the back of the...restaurant/den of despair so she hadn't met any other staff. The manager had seemed nice, if a little insane. Quinn supposed you'd have to be at least a little nuts to work in a fast food chain into your adult years but Holly had seemed bright and intelligent, her unfortunate choice of employment aside.

Quinn finished the last button on her new uniform and picked up the hat which topped off the truly repulsive ensemble. The hat, like her ridiculous pants was red. With a three dimensional, cartoon cow attached above the brim.

Three dimensional. Cartoon Cow.

Quinn placed the ridiculous hat on her head and scowled at her reflection in the mirror. _What a fucking loser. _Quinn is pretty sure that if ANYONE from her old school sees her like this she will actually die of embarrassment. Why did she have to live in such a crap hole of a town.

Her only other option for two months of employment was her mother's real estate office. That would have had a better uniform but it would also have been two months of her mother calling her Quinnie.

In front of other people.

And of course the daily delight of Judy's boss staring squarely at her chest instead of her face. No. Just no. Skeezy old men aside, it would have been two months of gut wrenching, soul destroying, paper sorting tedium. At least at Chuck's grill there would be a little variety. She hopes.

Quinn glanced at the clock cursing as she realised how far behind time she was. Dammit, she should have been ready ten minutes ago. She'll have to skip her morning coffee. _Whatever, the coffee at Chuck's grill can't be too bad_.

Quinn gave her uniform one more scowl as she passed the mirror behind the coat rack by the front door. Her bag swung wildly off one shoulder as she raced to the rusty yellow Datsun which served as her transport these days. Selling the red bug which her Father had purchased for her sweet sixteenth allowed for a _serious _upgrade to the sound system setup in her room.

What, she likes music, okay.

Once Quinn had plugged in that last speaker and knew her listening setup was perfect she'd bought the rust bucket.

Turning the key she was please when the engine turned over straight away. Quinn stroked the dash lovingly thanking Daisy—_Yes the car's name is Daisy, what of it?_— and moving away from the curb. With Daisy idling noisily at a set of traffic lights fifteen minutes later Quinn glanced at the minnie mouse watch strapped to her wrist. She was actually making good time. Now confident that she wouldn't be late for her first day of training, Quinn switched on the car's stereo and plugged in her iPod. The sound system she'd installed herself cost more than Daisy on the whole but it was totally worth it.

David Bowie's _Lets Dance _was the last track that Quinn had played and she skipped back to hear it again from the beginning.Throwing her ridiculous red cow hat into the passenger seat Quinn turned up the volume and sang out the first line of the song.

_Put on your red shoes and dance the blues! _

She drummed her hands across the steering wheel, swinging her cropped blonde hair back and forth to the beat.

_To the song that's playing on the radio. _

Her favorite part of the song was blaring through her speakers as Quinn pulled into the staff carpark at the back of _Chuck's Grill. _She wailed out the lyrics, confident that she would have Bowie stuck in her head for the rest of the day.

_If you should fall Into my Arms, Tremble like a floooooower._

Quinn closed her eyes, swaying into the intensity of the song_. _There was not even a tiny crackle in the speaker and Quinn was glad she'd spent that $400 bucks upgrading the sound system in her rust bucket instead of new tires. What good are new tires compared to the awesome power of Bowie blasting at superhuman volumes.

Quinn killed the power and unplugged her ipod, throwing it into her bag with her headphones. The headphones which would undoubtedly be necessary through the duration of her lunch break. Quinn had never actually eaten at Chuck's grill before but she had no doubt that the music would be the most soul crushing garbage imaginable.

Quinn grabbed her _special _new cow hat and pushed open her door. The morning was hot and bright with the sun glaring up off the bitumen. She checked the time once again to confirm that she was in fact early. The lack of traffic at this time on a Saturday morning seriously cut her travel time in half.

She kept the cow hat in hand as she approached the back door. Leaning against the wall, also waiting in (sort of)matching uniforms were two girls about Quinn's age. Quinn slowed her pace a little so she could make a quick visual assessment of these girls she would presumably be working with.

The taller of the two was blonde and athletic looking. Her eyes, Quinn could see even from a distance were a crazy kind of blue and she wore a number of blue strings platted into her hair which was drawn up into a tight high pony tail. Her wrists were decorated with dozens of plastic bands and bracelets of varying pastel colours. She had rolled up the hem on her uniform pants and her long legs managed to make them look like something a human being would wear.

The shorter girl was as dark as the taller was fair. She had long, naturally black hair left loose around her shoulders and the white tee she was wearing contrasted strongly against her dark skin. This girl had gone for a more direct approach with her uniform pants which stopped mid thigh and had obviously been hacked at with a pair of scissors. Or possibly a knife. Quinn noticed that neither were wearing the striped uniform top and wondered why she hadn't though to just change once she got to work.

_Oh well, there's always tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. For two fucking months._

Quinn felt a pang of regret for the summer she would no longer be having as she lifted one hand to greet the two girls. The Latina raised one eyebrow with a slight smirk pulling at her lips. The blonde was much more enthusiastic, grinning broadly and waving madly. Quinn stopped a few feet short of the girls, quickly shoving that ridiculous cow hat into her bag. With her eyes down she nearly missed the blur of movement that was the blonde girl rushing forwards to tackle her into an entirely over exuberant bear hug.

"You must be Quinn!" The tall blonde squealed into Quinn's ear. "I love new people and you look like you're going to be super fun cause you're super cute and I bet you're fun too and this summer is going to be the best ever."

Quinn did her best to remain upright as the girl's arms finally released her. "Ah. yeah. I'm Quinn."

She glanced at the Latina who remained against the wall, reaching out one hand to the taller girls arm. Quinn noted absently that they both wore identical silver bracelets. The pretty heart charms hanging from both caught the morning sun, glinting brightly.

"Remember what Holly was telling you yesterday Britt? We introduce ourselves with full names and hand shakes before crash tackling new people."

The blonde girl—_Britt?_—looked momentarily abashed. Her smile dropped slightly but then returned full force as she lifted one hand palm upwards between herself and Quinn.

"Hi Quinn Fabray. My name is Brittany S Pearce and this is Santana Lopez."

She swung her right hand behind her to gesture to the girl still leaning against the wall before apparently remembering that she was meant to be shaking with it. She swung it back out in front of her, seemingly proud of her amazing introducing skills. Quinn hesitated for only a moment before taking Brittany's hand. Brittany's smile got impossibly bigger and she gave a quick excited squeal before letting go and bouncing back to link her arm with Santana's.

"It's nice to meet you?" Quinn didn't mean for it to come out as a question.

Santana's eyebrows inched closer to her hairline. "So what's your story Blondie? So far I know that you're a David Bowie fan from Ohio," She glanced at my watch with a smirk, "With a potentially unhealthy Minnie Mouse fetish. How'd you end up amongst the desperate and dateless of Chuck's Charred Wasteland?"

Quinn blushed lightly. Apparently the little sing along in her car did not go unnoticed. She shrugged in what she hoped was a confidently blasé way.

_Come on Fabray, your good at people._

"Not much to tell. My mother decided I needed some 'real world' experience before going to college in the Fall. The choices for short term employment are pretty limited in Lima."

Santana grimaced her agreement. "So you were a Senior last year. But you didn't go to McKinley." It wasn't a question. "I mean that's where we all went and I'm pretty sure I'd remember you. We're you like home schooled or something?"

Brittany nodded. "Yeah totally. I made out with all of the hot people in our year and I'm pretty sure I'd remember if I'd made out with you."

What the hell? This girl was something else entirely. And is she sucking on a candy necklace? Quinn shook her head slightly, trying to remember Santana's original question.

"Umm, yeah. I mean no, I didn't go to McKinley. I went to Carmel. It was pretty traumatic actually. But that's high school I guess."

Quinn tried to laugh but felt her cheeks flame red yet again. She wondered where the fuck her mind had gone and if maybe someone would take pity and find it for her. Or kill her as humanely as possible. She needed coffee.

"Fucking Carmel." Santana's voice was surprisingly bitter and Quinn raised an eyebrow.

"Carmel's show choir were kindov the big rivals for our Glee club." Brittany offered with a small shrug.

Quinn couldn't imagine either of these girls in Glee club and she said so. "You look more like a cheerleader," she said directly to Brittany. She nodded enthusiastically.

"We both were. Santana was head cheerleader even," she nodded proudly and hesitated before adding, "You weren't in the show choir at Carmel or we would have seen you at competitions."

"You were head cheerleader?" Quinn hadn't meant to say it out loud let alone directly to Santana but she couldn't take it back. She'd taken in the girls ragged shorts, mangled Red converse and..._is that a tattoo, _and assumed she was more of a stand-under-the-bleachers-and-smoke-pot kind of girl. Santana just smirked broadly.

"What of it? You worried about sharing space with a true HBIC?"

Quinn smiled, doing her best to appear nonchalant. "Actually I was Head cheerleader. From time to time."

"From time to time?"

Quinn sighed. "Yeah. I had to leave the squad for a while. Due to um...circumstances."

"Circumstances. Right. Well I'm glad that's clear." Santana seemed unsure whether to push for more information. Mercifully she changed tack all together. "We were national champions."

"Yeah, I know actually. My squad should have been there up against you guys but all the money always went to Vocal Adrenaline and the hockey team. Never got the chance to kick McKinley's asses."

She smiled to show she was joking. Mostly. Santana seemed torn between amused and ready to rip Quinn's throat out. Apparently being head cheerleader for a national champion team was a point of pride for her. Brittany lay a gentle hand on Santana's wrist.

Santana's eyes softened immediately and she scoffed before turning to Brittany. "Yeah B, I know, play nice."

Santana glanced at the clock on her phone. "Where the fuck is Berry? That girl is allergic to late. We got here early for a change and I would like some freakin credit for that."

As if on cue there was the crunch of gravel from behind Quinn who turned to see a big green truck pull up into the car space next to her own. Her poor little Daisy looked puny in comparison. The driver's side door opened and a person fell out of the cab with all the grace of a recently berthed giraffe.

"Smooth moves Berry!" Santana called as Brittany giggled into her hand.

The tiny brunette huffed slightly as she jumped up onto the top step to retrieve her bag from the cab. The girl was wearing the same uniform as Quinn, complete with stupid hat and awkwardly long three quarter pants. She slammed the door on her monster truck closed and shuffled her bag higher onto her shoulder. She approached the three girls with her nose in the air, clearly trying to regain a certain level of dignity post truck cab acrobatics.

Her brown eyes brightened slightly as they swept over the group and saw Quinn who was awkwardly pushing a rock around with the toe of her black converse.

"You must be Quinn." The brunette said as she pushed past Santana to get to the door with a set of keys at the ready. Quinn smiled her best Sunday Church Service smile, wondering if this tiny girl would be one of her supervisors.

"I'm so glad you're starting today Quinn, we have been quite short-handed since Matt left us without much notice. I'm sure you're here to knuckle down and work hard with only the best intentions and attitudes. We of the _Chuck's Grill_ franchise aim to please in delivering the highest quality cuisine with convenience and a reasonable price, although I'm sure you will have read all about that in your introductory, New Employee package that you will have received in the post as of Wednesday or if the Lima post has been its usual dependable self Thursday."

The girl looked at Quinn expectantly.

_Oh shit, there must have been a question in there somewhere. _

Quinn just nodded dumbly whilst trying to discern whether or not the Brunette had taken a single breathe through that entire speech.

"Oh and I'm Rachel. I assume you have already met Santana and Brittany?"

Quinn just nodded again before realising that she should probably use her words before they thought she was some kind of incommunicable imbecile. "Yeah. I met them."

_Great job Fabray._

She really needed some coffee. Especially dealing with this puny brunette who apparently didn't need regular oxygen to speak at a hundred miles an hour. Rachel looked mildly concerned but straitened the smile on her face as she opened the door for them to enter. Quinn wrinkled her nose as the smell of bleach accosted them. She supposed bleach would have to be better than the bad food smells that had probably been washed away by the bleach.

Rachel strode through the door, her mary janes squeaking against the polished linoleum. Santana rolled her eyes and glanced at Quinn.

"Come on Blondie. Lets find you a locker. Hit the lights will you B?"

The sound of several switches being thrown was followed by an electronic hum as row after row of fluorescent lights flickered to life throughout the building. Santana led the way as Brittany pulled the heavy back door closed.

They passed the small managers office where Quinn had been interviewed for the job and through a door marked as 'Storage'. True to what was written on the door, this room was indeed for storage, of piles and piles of crap. Crates and cardboard boxes were stacked from wall to wall, floor to ceiling. There was also broken furniture, light fittings, pieces of the ugly ass uniform and a multitude of additional miscellaneous crap strewn about the space. In the middle of the room, with a narrow mote of floor space was a bank of lockers.

There were 5 columns and two rows much like the ones in her old school. Each door was decorated enough to show that every locker was occupied except for the bottom middle row whose door was blank and had a key jutting out from the lock. Above this locker was a door marked with a large glittering gold star.

"You'll be under Berry." Santana smirked at the innuendo. "And Britt and me are here and here."

She gestured to the two lockers at the top left. Santana's locker had been painted black with the lyrics to a song—Maybe Adelle?— painted in gold letters across the bottom half. Brittany's locker was...well, interesting. It was covered in photos and drawings, mostly of an extremely fat cat. It had streamers pasted in sections with a border of glittering fairy lights. How the girl got them to light up Quinn had no idea. Battery pack maybe?

Brittany opened the door and a unicorn stepped out. Okay, not entirely true but it was just as bright on the inside as the door. There were even more pictures of the fat cat as well as dozens of photos of smiling people. Lots of Brittany and Santana together but also other people including one or two group photos which included that Rachel girl. Some showed the group of people in costumes singing and dancing.

Quinn bent down to examine her own blank locker, wondering if it was worth decorating since she was only going to be there two months. Really only, like 8 weeks when you get down to it. Not long at all. She threw her bag inside after retrieving the stupid cow hat and closed the door, standing back up to find a naked Brittany. Okay, not so naked but, shirtless. Quinn snapped her hand to her face with a quiet _Oh My God._ She could hear Santana snickering and she lowered her hand blushing, yet again. God, what was wrong with her today? She was acting like a child. A nervous child.

"I thought you were a cheerleader?" Santana laughed through her question. "The Cheerios were practically naked, like ninety percent of the time in the locker room. Or at least, that's how me and Britts were." She shrugged with a wink at her blonde friend before lifting her own shirt over her head. Quinn looked at her feet mumbling something about _just surprised _and _wasn't expecting. _

Once both girls were mercifully fully clothed Quinn stopped staring at her shuffling feet. The two girls had taken even more liberties with the top half of their uniform than the bottoms. Both wore a striped shirt that was at least two sizes too small and Santana had gone so far as to roll up the sleeves on hers, fixing them high on above her bicep with a safety pin. Brittany had fixed an embroidered love heart to one of her sleeves and a rainbow on the other. It was a little ridiculous but Quinn had to admit that it was the good kind. They both managed to make to uniform look kind of...cool.

Santana smirked through Quinn's visual appraisal acknowledging that yes they were _just that hot._ Rachel chose that moment to squeak her way into the locker room.

"I really wish you two would stop altering your uniforms so much. We are paid representatives of The Chuck's Grill company and as such it is expected that we present a clean and professional visage." Rachel pretentiously pulled out the last syllable of this statement and Quinn grimaced.

_Really?_

Santana just gave the tiny brunette an amused look. Raising her middle finger at Rachel she returned to her conversation with Brittany who was prattling away about...something. Rainbows? Rachel visibly bristled but obviously decided it wasn't worth picking a fight.

She turned to Quinn with a broad smile and a small plastic badge in her hand.

"This is your new name badge Quinn. You will be expected to wear it throughout the duration of you shift so it can be easily read at all times. Corporate research shows that customers like to know the names of those who would serve them in order to establish a basic human connection and avoid any unfortunate slave connotations associated with people in the food services industry or any industry which involves one person servicing the needs of another. So basically any customer service role."

Quinn only half listened wondering if Brittany and Santana ever wore their name badges. She doubted it but took the badge with yet another fucking cartoon cow, pinning it to her shirt to mirror the one already attached to Rachel's shirt.

"Excellent." Rachel smiled a little wider. "We're going to start you up in service today. Really throw you into the deep end to see how you can go with customers. I'm sure you'll be fine as soon as you start sharing that beautiful smile of yours." Rachel's smile faltered only slightly as her cheeks reddened. Rachel hesitated as Quinn let a small bashful smile push out her reddening cheeks.

It wasn't like no one ever told Quinn she was attractive. Her parents' friends would make comments about her looks all the time. Her father had paid good money for this nose so he was always pretty pleased when compliments went her way. And occasionally boys at school would call her pretty. Or hot, but whatever. Mostly boys were just trying to get into her pants. The way that Rachel had said the word beautiful and then blushed—like it had just slipped out—It felt like a genuine compliment.

"A-and...Umm you'll have both myself and...umm...Brittany to assist you at the counter so..." Rachel was interrupted by Santana's loud scoff.

"Oh My God Britt, The Munchkin just said 'um'! Twice. In one sentence. Well done Fabray. Are you feeling alright Berry?" She glanced at Quinn then back to Rachel. "Cause I think your Gay is showing." She laughed heartily and pushed past a now thoroughly red Rachel and an equally red Quinn. "If you'll excuse me ladies, I gots me a grill to prep. Let me know if Puck ever gets here."

"This is gonna be the best summer ever!" Brittany bounced excitedly clapping her hands before linking her arm with Quinn's. "Come on Quinn. I'll show you how to take people's money."

Quinn smiled at the exuberant girl, allowing herself to be dragged into her first day in the 'real world'.


	2. The Joys of Employment

**Author's Note:** Okay. So the second chapter kind of got away from me a bit. It's a long chapter but it's also setting up a lot for the rest of the story.

Thanks for all of the Favourites and Follows and of course Reviews.

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><p>Yeah,<em> money is the most disgusting thing I have ever touched.<em>

Quinn grimaced at the black grit coating the underside of her fingernails. A direct result of handling money for the last three hours. She'd served what felt like hundreds of people and her feet were killing her. Standing all day was going to take some serious getting used to. She left the building for her ten minute break wanting a chance to run a quick self evaluation of her morning. She stretched out on a narrow strip of grass behind the restaurant relishing the feel of sun against her skin.

Despite being nervous as hell and generally acting like someone who wasn't Quinn Fabray, she thought her first day was going pretty well. She'd managed to get the register thing worked out easily and had successfully stayed away from open flames thus avoiding the spontaneous combustion of the polyester uniform.

The first half hour had included a crash course on taking peoples money as performed by Brittany.

"Wheeeeen the person tells you what they want you tap here...here aaaand here and then you tap this funny looking lizard type button," She gestured towards a button with a pictogram which did actually bear a vague resemblance to a lizard, "And then you take their money and tap here aaaand here,"

Brittany's hand moved quickly over the array of buttons on the cash register and the draw opened with a click.

"And then you put their money in the little compartments, give them however much change the computer tells you to and close the drawer."

Brittany trust her hips forward to push the drawer closed with a crash. "Does that all make sense? It's pretty easy and I'm betting you're pretty smart cause you listen to the same music that San does." Quinn didn't know what her taste in music had to do with anything.

She settled with a basic nod and smile. Brittany mimicked Quinn's head nod with a small smile of her own.

The squeaking of mary janes on linoleum turned Quinn's attention to Rachel who walked through the narrow gap in the front counter on her way to the front door of the restaurant. She kneeled in front of the double doors and pushed a key into the lock which, for some reason was positioned just a few inches from the floor. She struggled with the keys for several long moments, huffing in exasperation.

Quinn looked at Brittany wondering if the taller girl would offer to help. It seemed like Rachel was having some serious issues with those keys. Brittany just watched on with a small smile. It was at least another two minutes later when Quinn heard a huffing noise behind her and Santana moved around the front counter, through the collection of tables and chairs which made up the public area of the restaurant and approached the smaller brunette, tapping her on the shoulder.

"May I offer you some assistance?" she offered, her tone dripping in sarcasm.

Rachel sighed and offered Santana the keys which had occupied the last five minutes of her life.

"Thank you Santana. Although I am sure that one of these days I will actually get this door to open without argument."

Santana just shook her head with a smirk, opening the sliding doors with a quick kick and a shove of her shoulder. Thankfully there had been no customers waiting so Quinn was able to breathe for a few moments longer. She watched as both Rachel and Santana made their way back towards the counter.

Rachel stopped in front of them, straightening the straw and napkin dispensers fastidiously while Santana pulled herself up onto the counter and slid across it throwing her legs over the other side. Santana winked at Quinn before bouncing off the counter and moving back towards the grill. Brittany gave Santana a sound slap on the ass as she walked past them. Rachel didn't acknowledge this at all, turning toward Quinn with a broad smile.

"Are you ready to share the Chuck's Grill experience with our valued patrons Quinn?" She seemed genuinely interested in the answer, so Quinn nodded in what she hoped was an eager manner, bringing one hand up to fiddle nervously at the buttons on the cash register.

"I think it makes sense. I mean," Quinn started hesitantly. Rachel raised her eyebrows expectantly. "Well, the buttons all seem fairly self explanatory."

Quinn gestured toward the buttons on the cash register which included dozens of buttons with little pictures on them. Cups and burgers, useful little diagrams of small versus large. Rachel nodded happily placing one hand on Quinn's shoulder. The gesture was obviously meant to be encouraging but Quinn jumped away from her hand. Rachel pulled away looking slightly abashed. Quinn blushed—_yet again_—and tried to look apologetic.

"Sorry Rachel. It's not personal," she managed a half hearted laugh before continuing, "I guess I'm not used to um people wanting to er...touch. Me."

_Smooth Fabray._

She was just a little... unaccustomed to people touching her casually. Her parents weren't much for affection, and Quinn gave off such an intense 'fuck-off' vibe when at school that people tended to keep their hands to themselves. She scalded herself for the reaction. High school was over and she would have to start interacting with new people like Rachel who's personal bubbles were more...elastic.

Rachel did her best to appear unaffected by Quinn's response. "Well let me know if you have any trouble with anything. I'll be in the manager's office finishing off the roster for next week if anyone needs me."

Rachel sketched a vague farewell with one arm walking through the food prep area into the back office.

When the first customer crossed the threshold Quinn did her best to maintain a smooth breathing pattern. _Breath in, breath out. You've got this Fabray. _Brittany watched as Quinn failed to reduce her heart rate to something resembling human. Obviously taking pity on her, the taller girl pushed Quinn out of the way, greeting the customer with a bounce and a smile. A flurry of buttons and a quick fry up by Santana later. The customer left happy—or at least no more disgruntled that walking in—with brown paper bag in hand.

Brittany smiled reassuringly at Quinn as she suggested that the next customers be hers. She tried not to dissolve into a puddle of panicked nerves when a family approached the counter moments later. Their order was—well Quinn honestly couldn't remember what they had ordered but the seemed happy enough with what they got because they, like the first guy, walked away without complaint. Brittany skipped happily beside Quinn, clapping her hands excitedly.

"That was perfect Quinn. You're gonna do great in service. Way better than Santana."

Quinn heard a yell from food prep and Santana sidled towards them with a disgruntled expression.

"I wasn't that bad Britt."

"You threw soda at a customer!" Quinn's eyebrows shot upwards, looking between Santana and Brittany.

"I was provoked," Santana exclaimed, crossing her hands across her chest defensively.

"By three different people?" Brittany questioned. Quinn stifled a shocked laugh, not wanting to break the flow of this particular conversation.

Santana shrugged her shoulders. "Stupid people provoke me and those three people were stupid."

Brittany just shook her head with a chuckle as Santana turned back to the grill she was scraping down with overt aggresion.

Quinn wanted to talk to Brittany some more but at that moment three families had walked through the sliding glass doors and it stayed hectically busy until it came time for Quinn's first break.

Quinn closed her eyes for a moment, thoroughly enjoying the feel of sunlight on her face and arms.

This time last year she would have been lying by her pool with an iced tea—possibly the long island kind—in hand, and a new novel in the other. There was really very little demand on her time during the summer months. She exercised every morning and spent her days absorbing as much sunlight as possible, swallowing books whole. Her nights were spent indulging her obsession with music and classic vinyl.

She spent hours listening to the legends of pop and rock while carefully cleaning, cataloguing and organising her extensive collection of records. Bowie, Cream, Roxy Music, Fleetwood Mac. Her tastes were varied across genres and time periods and she knew her collection lacked any consistency. She didn't care. Quinn's collection was made up of music she loved and it wasn't seen by anyone else anyway.

She kept that part of herself a secret from everyone at school and even, to a certain extent, her parents. Quinn was made up of two people. The Quinn Fabray that everyone knew at school and the Real Quinn. The Real Quinn read books by the barrel and loved old music. Quinn Fabray who ruled Carmel didn't read for pleasure. Carmel Quinn Fabray liked cheerleading, parties and boys.

When Quinn had begun her high school career she had two main goals. The first was to be untouchable, to gain a place at the very pinnacle of the school's hierarchy and stay there. The second was to get amazing grades so she could get the _hell_ out of Lima.

Quinn had always been smart so she knew that part B was as simple as knuckling down and doing the work school assigned her. The first part of her plan was a little more challenging and required a different type of intelligence.

She became a master manipulator, exposing people's fears and weaknesses and using them to her advantage. She kept everyone at arms length, never letting anyone see her true feelings or passions. She played the part of popular girl, dating the right kind of boy and going to the right kind of parties. She scrambled to the top of the pyramid and didn't care who she had to crush to get there. She was ruthless. She was proud of her position and thrilled with the power that position granted her.

That was until her Sophomore year when everything changed.

She started to slip up and make mistakes. It was small things at first. Small things that she could cover up or intimidate others into covering up for her. But then she made a mistake that couldn't be covered up. The one massive mistake which sent her plummeting to the bottom of the pyramid.

The pregnancy landed her on the bottom rung of the social ladder somewhere between the the AV Club and those kids that play role playing games in the Library during Lunch Period. True, she didn't stay there for very long. She managed to claw her way back to the top but it wasn't the same. Things had changed. _Quinn_ had changed. After _Beth._

Though she regained her position as Head Cheerleader and also her place at the top of the school's caste system, popularity had slipped well down her list of priorities. Quinn knew that her position as head cheerleader and Queen of Carmel would help her achieve her goal of escaping Lima but she was no longer willing to callously disregard the people around her as she once did.

It became her priority to be a good person first. She wanted to be the type of person she could be proud of, the type of person that she could proudly tell her _daughter_ about. Sure she stumbled a few times on her way to self discovery and she was still working on being a better, more open person but she was getting there.

Quinn sighed, opening her eyes to check her watch. With about three minutes left on her break she ran her fingers though her hair, shaking out loose strands. She picked up her bag and newly empty coffee cup, dusted the grass off her back and walked back into the restaurant. Slipping through double doors, she gazed disinterestedly at the patrons currently occupying the dining area.

Once Quinn had mastered the task of taking orders she had occupied her additional brain capacity making a mental catalogue of the people who visited Chuck's Grill during the morning hours. There seemed to be three basic categories.

The first was The Working Sap. Those poor suckers who dropped in for coffee and a portable breakfast paying and leaving as quickly as possible. These people liked efficiency and didn't seem to need a conversation or even really a smile.

The second group was The Family. These came in loud and annoying with complicated special orders and awkward questions about nutritional information and unnecessary over shares about little Timmy's dairy intolerance.

Quinn was good at faking an interest. She had lost hours, no days of her existence listening to idiot football players go on and on about video games and football plays which she had no interest in. She had concluded that all the family groups wanted was someone who _appeared_ to give a shit. That she could do.

Third were The Regulars. Quinn was still trying to decide whether she kinda liked this group or if they actually scared her a little. There was something ultimately depressing about a person who not only knew every item on the menu board, but also had the exact money memorized and prepared for their _daily_ serving of the Chuck's Grill _Value Breakfast Deal._

The first Regular that Quinn had served was a woman well into her seventies. She was a tiny woman with sensible shoes and one of those little shopping trolleys that seem to only exist when you see them attached to an octogenarian. She'd ordered a coffee and a Chuck's Bagel.

The Chuck's Bagel looked remarkably like the frozen bagels you find at a Quick Mart, sliced in half, squirted with an array of 'special' sauces and given a layer of suspicious meat product before being wrapped in paper and stuck in the microwave. Once Quinn took a customer's money it only took about ninety seconds for Santana to slide the lot into a bag. The coffee would appear magically by Quinn's elbow moments later. Brittany had said she couldn't show Quinn the finer workings off the coffee machine because she wasn't sure if the 'magic' would work for her yet.

While the tiny old woman with the shopping trolley was waiting for her meal to arrive, she had quizzed Quinn without mercy. Everything from the generic 'Are you new' to the utterly bazaar 'What is your shoe size'. Quinn answered honestly and succinctly for the most part only lying when she was asked if she had a boyfriend. She answered in the affirmative fearing that if she answered honestly the old lady would be demanding she date one of her Grandsons who _honestly _were sweet and lovely boys that just needed a pretty girl like herself to take to the sock-hop. Quinn did not need the stress of dodging a stranger's match making efforts.

Walking through the restaurant at the end of her first break, she could see just two families who may of may not have been regulars. She made a mental not to amend her paradigm to include possible crossovers. Families who were on their way to work? Okay, maybe not that one.

She squeezed through the space in the front counter and headed toward the storage room. Passing through food prep Quinn nodded to Santana who was busy at the grill. Santana had tied her hair up into a tight high pony and was humming quietly to herself as she waited for the beep that would let her know when the meat was ready to flip. The music in her head must have had a good beat because she was dancing on the spot, swaying her hips and moving her shoulders energetically. Santana nodded back at Quinn absently and was turning back to the sizzling meat when she stopped her swaying abruptly and turned around.

"Don't go too far Blondie. You'll be swingin with me for the lunch rush today. Time to gets yo grease on." She drawled out the last part with an exaggerated ghetto accent and a wink.

Quinn arched one eyebrow, choosing not to respond as she pushed through the door marked storage. She wrangled open the door on her new locker so she could deposit her bag back inside and retrieved her name badge, attaching it securely to the front of her uniform. She 'forgot' the cow hat, closing the door with a bang. Glancing at the lockers surrounding hers, Quinn resolved to find something at home to decorate her door with. She thought about scrounging up some album artwork from her favorite bands. Or maybe she could choose song lyrics like Santana to paint onto the locker.

Now that high school was over, Quinn was free to fully embrace her inner music nerd. The idea of decorating her locker to publicly show the previously hidden part of herself felt incredibly freeing. Just like when she had sold the shiny red Volkswagen and bought Daisy instead. The little yellow rust bucket with seriously upgraded sound system showed, in a small way, who Quinn was now.

The door to the storage room opened just as Quinn was turning to leave and she came face to face with a flustered looking Rachel.

"Ah, Quinn. just back from your break? Excellent, you'll be working with Santana now so you can get to know how the grill works and of course act as an extra pair of hands through the lunch rush." Rachel's voice was a little stilted and her face was extremely red.

Quinn suspected that Rachel had not expected anyone to be in the room when she entered and was struggling to maintain a neutral expression. Quinn cleared her throat quietly, reminding herself forcefully that she was a good person now who cared about other people's feelings.

"Is everything okay Rachel? You look a little..." she trailed off unsure how to finnish that sentence.

"Oh yes, it's fine. It's just Santana being, well, Santana. She sometimes seems to forget that we aren't in high school anymore and that, despite appearances we are actually friends now."

Rachel smiled sadly with a shrug as if to say _what can you do_. Quinn returned the smile gently, unsure how to comfort this girl since she didn't really know much about her or her situation with Santana. Who was she kidding? Even if she had known these girls for years instead of hours she would still be stumped. Years of callously ignoring others in her mission to stay on top at Carmel had left her seriously lacking when it came to comforting others.

Quinn was saved from having to offer any awkward words of comfort when Santana pushed open the door to lean her head and shoulder into the cluttered space.

"Come on Q, get your skinny ass behind this grill now." She paused when she spotted Rachel. "Hey Shortstack. Come on, don't look so freakin morbid. I didn't kick your puppy. You know I've got to keep shit real in this place or we'd all go insane. Sometimes you're an overbearing diva with delusions of grandeur...And sometimes I'm a fucking bitch."

Rachel scolded Santana for cursing but smiled at Quinn as she moved to open her locker. Quinn smiled back before following Santana back into food prep. She was puzzled by the interaction between the pair. Rachel said they were friends but they were obviously the type of friends who bickered a lot and got under each other's skins easily. She consciously filed the interaction away for later review. Quinn had to focus if she was going to avoid lighting her uniform on fire while working the damn grill. Rachel called out her name as she shouldered the door open.

"Don't forget your hat Quinn."

_Damn._

Santana's teaching method was similar to Brittany's although it involved a much more _colourful_ vocabulary.

She began with a general tour of the food prep area. This area was lined on one side by two massive grills and an assortment of deep frying equipment on the other. Down the middle was a series of work benches with cutting boards, and an array of containers lined up in metal racks. Above food assembly was a row of draws which were kept at a high temperature to keep the prepared meat hot for longer. Above those were a row of fairly standard looking microwaves.

Santana explained that the majority of the food arrived already prepped so it was their job to stack it into a neat pile, nuke the cheese into melt-y submission and wrap it up. At the end of the assembly benches, nearest the front counter was the line of chutes, labeled at both ends with the names of the various burgers available at Chuck's Grill.

At the grill, Santana ran through the procedure once, throwing the neat stack of cooked meat patties into a long, narrow container before handing Quinn a large steel spatula. Quinn eyed the spatula and then Santana speculatively.

"Come on Quinn, it's not fucking brain surgery. Grab a hold of the meat," _smirk, "And _slap it onto the grill."

Quinn did as instructed, picking up the short stack of disturbingly symmetrical meat and separating it into a neat row along the shiny surface of the grill. Santana contributed with short, impatient spurts of advice.

"No...Eight columns not seven. Yeah, that's better. Then...Yup 6 rows and then you press the button."

Quinn hit the little red button which would track the time needed to cook the meat and then jumped back in an attempt to avoid getting splattered with oil.

Grilling is fucking horrible.

Santana laughed at her, throwing her head back in what appeared to be genuine mirth at Quinn's expense. She gave her iciest HBIC glare but that only made Santana laugh harder, gripping her stomach with both hands and glancing back towards brittany who was leaning back against the front counter, watching the grilling lesson.

"Awww Q, you're so cute when you try to look scary." Brittany was smiling at them both like they were the most adorable children in a class of kindergarteners.

Santana was now doubled over with laughter, slapping her leg merrily. Quinn failed to see what was so damn amusing but waited patiently for the Latina to be quite done with her little laughing fit.

"You do remember that I was _head _Cheerio, right? I was head bitch for one Sue Sylvester. The same Sue Sylvester who lead the Cheerios to 6 consecutive National championships through the use of what many would consider techniques of torture. You can glare all you want Q. I mean, you mostly just look like a constipated pixie but you can go ahead and do your worst."

Quinn absorbed this tirade, her expression very slowly softening into a genuine smile. Santana took great joy in ripping people down, that was obvious, but Quinn could see that there was little to no attempt to actually wound. It was more like she was delivering up obvious truths with as much snark as possible. She was actually pretty funny. It was a game. One which Quinn was very familiar with.

The beep of the grill announced the time to flip the meat and Quinn was forced to return her full attention to the grill, maneuvering the heavy spatula around the sizzling patties as quickly as possible before they could burn. Jamming her thumb against the little red button again, Quinn returned her attention to Santana who was happily wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. Something from before had caught her attention.

"Santana, why did you call me Q?"

She didn't mind the abbreviation but having such a short name had meant she had very few nicknames growing up. Her mother was the only one that got away with calling her Quinnie.

"Well we can't just call you Quinn. That would be way too boring." Brittany explained from the front counter.

"Yeah, I'm sure we'll think of something fun to call you when we get to know you better."

Quinn side eyed Santana feeling as though there may have been a threat in her words.

Quinn continued watching the sizzling meat as Santana watched her, passing an obviously appraising eye over her from head to toe. The staring was getting old fast. She turned towards Santana with a raised eyebrow.

"Lurk much? What are you staring at me like that for?" Everything about Santana made Quinn arch up into HBIC mode.

Yeah, she was trying to be a better, more well rounded person but that didn't mean she was just going to let this girl best her.

_She's still Quinn Fabray for goodness sake. _

Santana's answer wasn't what she expected. "Just wondering what you look like in street clothes."

"Yeah, well stop looking at me like a creeper."

"I'm see-ing baby doll dresses and Sunday School cardigans."

Quinn felt her cheeks warm as Santana described _exactly_ what she had been in the habit of wearing anytime she was out of the cheer uniform. The innocent dresses and soft cardigans had been an important part of her image. She wanted to be popular without sleeping around so she'd pushed the wholesome virgin image thing pretty far. Even after the pregnancy. Even after Beth had been born she'd rejoined the celibacy club and preached abstinence. It kept her safe. It allowed her to keep the few boys she'd dated at arms length. She knew she was leaving Lima so it was easy to avoid getting emotionally involved and even easier to turn down their physical advances.

On the last day of school those damn dresses were the first to go. Quinn performed a type of mini throwing out ceremony, gathering every single one into a box and dragging them to the nearest good will. Since then she had quickly accumulated a collection of skinny jeans, to wear with the collection of vintage band T's that had been so thoroughly neglected during her time at Carmel.

Quinn glowered at Santana, biting her tongue to keep the aggressive retort from escaping. She didn't need to antagonize this girl any more than she already had.

"I've actually grown out of _that_ particular phase of my life."

Santana looked skeptical but didn't argue, seemingly changing topic altogether when she asked Quinn what she would be doing with her Saturday night. Quinn's eyes narrowed as she searched for any hidden motivations in this new line of questioning.

"I was planning on staying in and listening to music." This would have been her response for the last 4 weeks if anyone had cared to ask. Quinn was eager to spend her first paycheck at the Vintage music store downtown and she had been going through her collection to verify what she was missing.

Santana chuckled lowly with a glance at Brittany who had been forced to turn and serve a customer.

"Well, now you have real plans Blondie. You're coming to a party tonight."

Quinn hesitated, still unsure as to whether or not she could trust either of these girls. They had both been cheerleaders and Quinn knew a great deal about the kind of girl that donned that particular uniform. Hell, she had been one for four years and she knew what it took to stay top dog. Santana obviously saw some hesitance in Quinn's face because she forced her expression into what was obviously meant to be a sincere smile.

"Hey come on Q, It'll be fun."

Santana looked behind her to Brittany who was bagging up some fries. She moved over to the taller blonde and hugged into her side when she turned around.

"Make her come with us Britt-Britt." Santana said with a pout, turning huge puppy-dog eyes up at Brittany who in turn looked at Quinn with an equally mournful expression.

_Oh God._

Quinn had no chance against those ridiculous blue eyes. She crossed her arms against her chest and even stamped her foot a little. She relented with a short _fine_ before turning back to the meat which was cooked and ready to scrape off the grill and into its long container. Brittany clapped happily and jumped up and down, causing her various bangles to shift and click against each other. Santana just smirked in an infuriatingly self satisfied way as she picked up the long container from beside Quinn and forced it into the warming shelf.

* * *

><p>Once the lunch rush kicked in shortly after, there was little opportunity to talk and Quinn was forced to concentrate on turning out the patties as quickly as possible. Rachel had joined Brittany at the front counter taking orders and packing fries into bags to accompany the burgers Santana was wrapping up in assembly. Apparently there was meant to be another guy working the lunch shift but he hadn't bothered to turn up. Santana said that he was a 'lazy fucker' who couldn't really be counted on for much. Quinn wondered how he still had a job at all. Brittany scoffed at Santana.<p>

"Didn't stop you dating him San."

"I never dated him. We just had sex and he bought me things. And you had sex with him too Britt. Remember, that time when you were meant to be dating Matt."

"Oh yeah. At that epic party we made JewFro throw when his parents left him home alone for the weekend before Junior year. He tried to cop a feel when we played flip cup but I told him that he wasn't allowed get all up on this until he stopped trying to grope Rachel's berries."

"Please tell me you didn't get your mac on with the Jewish cloud." Santana's face was screwed up in a grimace.

Brittany just shrugged. "I wanted my perfect record."

Santana made an unattractive retching noise.

Quinn was just confused.

As the queue at the counter got longer and the orders were coming through quicker Quinn started cursing that 'Lazy Fucker' as well. She felt like she was smothered in grease and her arm was aching. She'd been shown the procedure for chicken burgers and the funny green lentil patties once she had the meat process down. It was all fairly simple and extremely repetitive.

Really, really repetitive.

No really, Quinn was pretty sure she would be dreaming about those flat discs of processed meat. And the beep. _That goddamned beep._ Every time a batch of meat was ready to flip the beep would go off, each time more piercing then the last. When it got really busy Santana fired up the second grill for her and then she had two sets of beeps to contend with. There was sweat poring down her back between her shoulder blades.

_I'm not getting paid enough for this._

It was a miserable few hours but eventually the crowd at the front counter thinned out and Quinn was able to turn off that second grill. The heat had become almost unbearable and she could feel the sheen of sweat glistening on her face. She let out a puff of air into the brim of her cap. She was used to having her bangs flutter above her eyes and the hat was stifling.

Santana was clearing up the benches and restocking the containers that had been emptied through the rush.

"You'll have to remember a hairband tomorrow Blondie. I mean I love finding blonde locks in my food as much as the next guy but that hat has got to go and the health department tends to frown on a person looking good in the kitchen."

Quinn thew her a filthy look. _Not in the mood Santana._

Santana ignored the look and continued. "Q I gotta tell you that you look like a hot mess and _not_ in the good way. I mean I'm pretty sure I could re-pencil my eyebrows on in the reflection on your forehead right now."

Brittany choked back a laugh. She was obviously listening from the counter even though she was in the middle of serving a customer. Rachel turned around but didn't laugh as she approached them both.

"Santana your acerbic wit is as abrasive as ever," she said sardonically as she looked into Quinn's shiny face, "And you look as lovely as ever Quinn, although I'm sure you'll be grateful for an opportunity to _not_ have a three dimensional cow attached to the top of you head. And now you can because Santana and Brittany will be taking over while we take a lunch break."

Quinn smiled gratefully and handed Santana back the heavy spatula. Santana twirled the spatula around like a baton, before shoving it handle first into her back pocket.

"I got it Streisand. Try not to get too distracted by the scenery. Me and Britts have lunch plans of our own when you get back."

"Consider me the picture of punctuality Santana. So long as you _never_ elaborate on the details of you _lunch break_ with Brittany." Rachel threw air quotes around the words 'lunch break'.

"Oh please, we're going to the mall. Although I'm sure you'd love to hear all about our more exciting _lunches." _Santana mimicked Rachel's emphasis mockingly.

Rachel just waved a dismissive hand behind her as she guided Quinn to the wash basins against the back wall.

"You are going to want to use the soap out here to get the grease off you."

Rachel pointed to the industrial sized hand-soap bottles behind the sink and moved to wash her own hands of the dark grit that would have accumulated during her stint handling cash at front counter.

Once they were both suitably scrubbed they walked into the storage room to gather their things. Quinn was starving but hadn't packed anything for lunch, figuring that she should probably at least try something off the Chuck's menu. Holly, the manager had indicated that staff could get a meal for a dollar when they had an all day shift but now that Quinn had spent the last hour handling the grease soaked patties she wasn't sure if she could stomach a Chuck's Special.

Rachel grinned at her when Quinn's stomach announced its displeasure with a loud growl. Quinn grimaced, wondering aloud if she'd be able to stomach anything that came off the grill. Rachel nodded in understanding.

"I may be a little biased but I recommend the salad box. I usually get Santana to grill up a veggie patty on the clean side for me."

Quinn decides that sounds like a passable option so long as she can get a coffee as well. Rachel taps Santana on one shoulder as she moves past causing the girl to do a full three-sixty.

"Watch it Smurfette or I'll soak your lentils in beef juice."

Rachel grinned, ignoring Santana's tone. "Do you think you could grill up another veggie for Quinn? Sans the beef juice please."

"Two veggies, hold the beef, Commin-up."

Rachel moved to the coffee machine in the corner with a bounce in her step. "How do you take your coffee Quinn? I'm a black two sugars girl and have been for several years. I can only assume that drinking the coffee without the cream can only aid in the stimulation offered by the caffeine."

Quinn observed the bubbly girl for a moment wondering how she could handle any more stimulants. She was already so...animated.

Quinn agreed with Rachel on the black two sugars since she was offering to make it for her.

By the time the machine spat out two steaming coffees Santana had wrapped up two garden salads with veggie patties tossed in. Rachel threw a thank you at Santana's back as she picked up the two orders and handed a coffee over to Quinn.

"Where would you like to sit? I'm quite partial to the corner booth but wherever you would like to sit is fine." She hesitated and stuttered out, "Unless you were preferring to sit alone, in which case you are welcome to be wherever you would like and then I will just be in my usual seat a-and I won't bother you at all and..." Rachel stumbled to a halt as Quinn just looked at her.

Quinn tried not to laugh as the blush crept up Rachel's cheeks. She knew what she would have said to a girl like Rachel if they were at school together a few short years ago. She would have teased the overly verbose girl mercilessly with cruel jokes and most likely some very hurtful nicknames. Now Quinn allowed herself a small smile acknowledging to herself how adorable Rachel's rambling actually was. She shook her head and pointed towards the front door.

"I was planning on sitting outside again," she was forced to interrupt Rachel mid ramble when she continued, "And you are welcome to join me Rachel."

Rachel beamed up at Quinn immediately moving towards the sliding glass doors and out into the sunshine. Rachel waited for Quinn on the other side of the doors, bouncing happily on the balls of her feet. Quinn gestured around to the right.

"There is a strip of grass beside the fence out here. I think it should still have some sun."

Rachel followed a few steps behind Quinn humming happily to herself. Once they reached the fence Quinn threw herself unceremoniously against the ground, pushing her bag down beside her. Rachel handed Quinn her meal and gracefully lowered herself to the ground, crossing her legs in front of her. She lifted off the striped uniform blouse to reveal a tight singlet which showed off toned arms and shoulders. She closed her eyes and lifted her face towards the warmth of the sun with a contented sigh.

"I can see why you wanted to be outside Quinn. It's really quite pleasant. And thank you. For letting me come with you. I'm not exactly used to people being...well, nice." Rachel looked so sincere in the statement and Quinn had absolutely no idea how to respond.

Once again she thought of how the old, School Quinn would respond and she felt a small jab of guilt at the way she had treated girls like Rachel in the past. She tried to direct the conversation towards a safer topic.

"So do you always eat vegetarian or is your appetite ruined by the grill like mine is?"

Rachel smiled at the question. "Actually I'm vegan so I don't eat any product which comes from an animal."

Quinn quirked an eyebrow at this. "Isn't it a little weird to be working at a burger joint?"

"Well yes," Rachel conceded as she unwrapped her cutlery and removed the lid from her salad, "And it was certainly difficult to reconcile my beliefs with my need for interim employment. I decided given the limited opportunities available in Lima that I would simply have to accept that people would be purchasing and consuming Chuck's Grill products regardless of my involvement. I assuage my guilt by maintaining a persistent letter campaign requesting that Chuck's Grill switch to sustainable and cage-free animal products. My hope is that my message will be received more readily as an employee of the company. I also do my best to educate customers in the health benefits inherent in at least a vegetarian lifestyle. I'm also pleased that the fries are cooked in canola oil rather than animal fat which makes Chuck's Grill one of the _better_ fast food chains in Ohio."

Quinn watched Rachel as her face clearly showed all of her indecision and eventual conviction. Quinn was impressed by her fervor and wished she felt as passionately about anything. She could just imagine this girl sitting down on a regular basis to argue passionately with a bunch of nameless, faceless corporate types.

Rachel pushed her food around, hunting for the elusive tomato lurking in her salad. Once she spotted the splash of red, she speared it onto her fork with a few leaves of her salad. She squeezed her eyes shut in obvious delight.

Quinn smiled, as she unwrapped her own salad and cutlery. She broke apart the lentil patty and speared some onto her fork with a few bits of salad. Lifting it to eye height she inspected it curiously. The patty seemed to be composed primarily of lentils in a variety colours with chickpeas and maybe some carrot or sweet potato. Taking the mouthful she was surprised to find it was actually pretty good.

She said as much to Rachel who smiled warmly. "I was certainly very pleased when I discovered the vegetarian option was also suitable for a vegan diet." She paused, looking at Quinn as though pondering a deep question.

Quinn raised one eyebrow to ask _What._

Rachel continued to chew her food slowly before shaking herself as if from deep contemplation. "Sorry, it's just that Brittany said you were a cheerleader, head cheerleader at that. I can't quite imagine it. You seem so..nice." Her pitch rose on the last word almost like she was asking Quinn.

"Well don't go spreading that around Rachel, I have a reputation to uphold you know."

Rachel started spluttering out an apology mixed with vague assurances.

Quinn couldn't help but smirk at her. "I'm kidding Rachel. Although, a month ago I wouldn't have been so 'nice' to you." Quinn put an emphasis on the word 'nice' which Rachel was clearly puzzled by. She elaborated. "You're right. I _was_ head cheerleader and I _wasn't_ very nice. I was pretty awful actually, to a lot of people back in my Freshman and Sophomore years."

"What changed?" It was an honest question and Quinn wanted to offer an honest answer but she really wasn't ready for _that_ conversation.

"It's a long story," she said simply, hoping that Rachel wouldn't think she was fobbing her off. "Besides, there are _some_ nice cheerleaders. Brittany is pretty nice and she was a cheerleader."

Rachel laughed a little at that. "Yes well, Brittany is certainly one of a kind. Much like Santana. Although no one would call Santana _nice._ Certainly not to her face. She is capable of being sweet though, especially with Brittany."

Quinn was mildly intrigued by her two new coworker. "They seem to be pretty close," she posited.

"They certainly are at that. They've been best friends since they met in first grade and girlfriends since senior year. They went through a lot together to get to where they are now in their relationship. I know it wasn't easy for Santana coming out at school and at home. But she had Brittany, and all of New Directions supporting her through it."

Quinn's eyes widened and her eyebrows inched closer to her hairline. She hadn't expected a confirmed relationship status and she had to admit that it was a little shocking. She wasn't homophobic but she had grown up in a religious—and largely bigoted— household where homosexuality was regarded as a sin. Carmel was also a fairly conservative school and any open dialogue regarding sexuality was discouraged.

Rachel noticed Quinn stiffen and snapped her mouth closed and as though she had said too much.

"Maybe don't tell Santana I told you all of that. I shouldn't have said anything but you sortof asked and we were always so open in Glee Cub and I almost forgot that you aren't exactly a part of the group yet, although I am looking forward to introducing you to everyone. Santana said you are coming to the party tonight," Rachel was rambling to move the conversation back to a safe topic. "and I'm so glad because it would be lovely for you to get to know everyone outside of the formal setting of work. Everyone will be there of course, Kurt and Blaine—they don't work here but they were in Glee—, Mercedes and Sam—Sam works the grill on Santana's off days—, Mike and Tina—they both work on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Who else? Artie, and my boyfriend Finn of course."

"Boyfriend?" Quinn interrupted the flow of Rachel's words.

"Hmm? Yes Finn was the male lead for New Directions and the natural choice for my first foray into the world of romantic entanglements."

"Romantic entanglements?" Quinn couldn't help but chuckle at Rachel's turn of phrase. "You date him because he's your male lead?"

"Well, no I date him because," Rachel paused as though searching for the appropriate response. "I date him because he's sweet. And kind and tall and good looking—not that that is crucially important although a certain physical attraction is nice—and he can be thoughtful."

"Can be thoughtful? So he isn't always thoughtful," Quinn posited.

Rachel seemed thrown by Quinn's statement. "No he is thoughtful...well, usually. It's just... well as for example, last year he bought me a dead pig for Christmas. It was one of those hogs, you know, that they fatten up and then slaughter to feed a hungry family in Africa."

Quinn couldn't help the incredulous laugh. "But you're Vegan!"

"And Jewish," Rachel sighed, "but he was trying really hard. He just can't seem to remember the whole vegan thing." Rachel pouted slightly at the memory but then glanced up at Quinn with a mischievous smile. "What about you? Anyone special, or are you more of a heartbreaker?"

Quinn shrugged in a bored fashion, taking a swig of her coffee and replacing the lid on her now empty salad box. "I dated a few boys at school. But I'll be leaving for Yale soon and I didn't want to drag anything out across long distance."

Rachel squealed excitedly at the word Yale. "Quinn, that's an amazing school. _And_ we'll practically be neighbors. I'm going to NYADA in New York." She did a happy little jig as she sang out 'New York' in an elated tone. "Kurt and I both got in."

Quinn was impressed and said so. "Do you know much about what classes you'll get to take?" She was honestly interested and Rachel was so obviously excited that it was easy for Quinn to keep the conversation focused on the bubbly brunette. Quinn was exceedingly content sitting in the sun and listening to Rachel reciting her class schedule.

They spent the rest of their lunch break talking about Rachel's school and as they moved back inside to relieve Santana and Brittany, Quinn was surprised to realize that she really did enjoy the girl's company. She had been expecting the absolute worst when she had left the house just that morning but now she felt like these girls could be something like friends.

* * *

><p>The rest of the afternoon was. Interesting. Quinn was once again left in charge of the grill and also making the burgers while Santana was on lunch with Brittany. There was a large poster on the wall explaining in unnecessary detail the construction of each burger and an approximate time frame for each. Burger construction isn't exactly the most intellectually stimulating activity but the time passed quickly which Quinn was thankful for.<p>

It was a little over an hour when the two girls finally returned from their break and Quinn couldn't help but scour their appearance for some sign of what they had been up to. They had both removed the striped uniform top, exchanging it for the tshirts they had been wearing when they first arrived for work. They seemed perfectly intact otherwise and Brittany was carrying a grey shopping bag.

Once they deposited their things and reassembled their unique take on the uniform they entered the kitchen giggling and talking together. Santana took over burger assembly and Quinn stayed at the grill while Brittany took over front counter and Rachel went back to the manager's office to finnish the roster.

The afternoon was pretty quiet with customers arriving in only ones and twos at odd times. The girls busied themselves with menial tasks and random chatter about TV shows and gossip. While Quinn was standing in front of the counter attempting to stuff way too many napkins into way too small a dispenser she noticed that Santana and Brittany were both humming and swaying from side to side. Each was dancing to their own beat and their movements were well out of sync.

"You do that a lot," Quinn couldn't help but make a comment.

"Do what?"

"Dance to the music in your heads." She nodded past Brittany who was still swaying slightly to Santana who had broken out into a full blown dance between the grills and work bench.

"We love to dance," she said simply with a shrug. "Normally we're a little more co-ordinated with music playing over the PA but Will made Holly turn the music off."

"Why would he do that?"

Brittany looked mildly guilty as she admitted, "It's a punishment. We may have snuck onto the roof one night. We got drunk in the storage room after a shift last week and decided it would be a good idea to...reassemble the letters on the roof."

"What did it say?"

"Well we were going to try and make it say something rude but it took a lot of effort to move any of the letters so it ended up saying 'Chicks rulle'. You know, with the i and u swapped. And we flipped the 'g' around to make it kinda look like an 'e'."

Quinn laughed and tried to imagine anyone going to so much effort. The letters on the roof were huge. Brittany shared a wry smile.

"Anyway, we came back and fixed in the morning after we woke up and remembered what we'd done. But Will had already found out and was pretty pissed so he turned the music off." She shrugged nonchalantly as though drunkenly crawling across roofs in the middle of the night was just a regular weekend.

_Hell maybe it is for these two._

"So there's normally music. What kind?"

"All sorts Blondie," Santana joined the conversation. "Even a music snob such as yourself should be impressed."

"Who said anything about me being a music snob?"

"Just a feeling."

Quinn bristled. "I'm really not you know. What kind of music do we get?"

Santana looked like she was about to explain but was interrupted by a deep voice on the other side of the counter.

"Hey guys is Rachel here?" Quinn turned to see an absurdly tall boy speaking to Brittany.

"Yeah she's just in back," Brittany replied. "I'll go get her."

Brittany skipped towards the Manager's office and Santana sauntered toward the counter.

"Hey Finnocence. What brings you're gigantic self here today?"

"Just came to see Rachel, Santana." The boy seemed extremely uncomfortable and he looked around as if for a suitable distraction. Spotting Quinn, he smiled broadly. It made him look a little like someone had cut a split into a potato.

"You must be the new girl. Quinn right?" He offered out his hand to Quinn. "I'm Finn, Rachel's boyfriend."

Quinn took to offered hand and her own was immediately swallowed. This man child was ginormous. Rachel must feel so small next to him. She smiled.

"Nice to meet you Finn." Quinn let go of his hand quickly.

Santana was wearing her bitch smirk.

"So Frankenteen, eaten any small villages lately? Or are you saving yourself for when you are released back into the wild and can indulge in your craving for wild game?"

Finn just rolled his eyes at her. "I'm so glad Rachel works with you now Santana. I didn't get enough of you being mean in 4 years of high school."

"Wow Finnept. Have you learnt how to use _sarcasm_ or have I finally developed the ability to mask your pathetic whining with coherent thought?"

_Woah now._

"Ok, that's enough. Tell Rachel I'll be outside." With that he turned around and left to wait just outside the front door.

Quinn turned her shocked expression to Santana who was wearing a thoroughly self satisfied smirk.

"What the hell was that?" Quinn questioned.

"You know what I said earlier about having no tolerance for stupid people? Yeah, well Finnpotent is one of the stupid people. I can't wait till Berry drops his ass."

Quinn wondered if what she saw was actually Santana's concern for Rachel.

"Do you think she would be better off with someone else?"

Santana gave her a speculative look.

"How bouts I break it down for you? Berry is an insufferable know-it-all with a diva 'tude that could make Ghandii wanna bust her face in," she paused drawing a deep breath. "But she is my friend—and I will seriously _cut_ you if you tell her I said this—she has an incredible talent and amazing potential which I _know_ will make her a huge star one day. My problem with Finn—besides his obviously lack of personal grooming habits—is that he will drag her down. Finn is the definition of a Lima Loser. So the short answer Blondie is that, yes I think she would be better off with someone else."

Quinn glanced out at the tall boy, wondering if Santana could be spot on about him. She heard Rachel and Brittany exit the office and approach the front counter.

"Why is he standing outside?" Rachel glared at Santana accusingly. "What did you say to him?"

"Oh, he'll be fine Hobbit. I've heard that Shamu has an inch thick hide. My spiteful words just bounce right off."

"Santana, please don't call me that," she paused and then. "Or Finn."

"It's with love Lollypop Guild, with love." She said the words as though she were joking but Quinn now knew there was a truth in them.

Rachel huffed out an annoyed sigh and made her way toward the front door. Greeting Finn with a hug and the sweetest smile, they launched into an apparently in depth conversation. Quinn couldn't hear a word from the front counter but after the first greeting she could see a lot of serious faces and fervent gesticulation.

Rachel wasn't smiling anymore and Quinn could feel Santana beside her, watching as the conversation grew more heated.

The two were arguing and it was getting ugly.

"What do you think they're talking about San?" Brittany questioned.

"I don't know B. It doesn't look good."

Rachel reached one hand towards Finn pleadingly but Finn shook her off, raising both hands into the air. Santana flinched at the movement, leaning towards the gap in the front counter. She looked ready to leap into the fray should Finn decide to get physical. Quinn didn't think that he seemed the type to get violent but you could never tell for some people.

It was a few tense minutes later that Finn shook his head and walked away. Quinn thought it a small miracle that no customers had decided that they were hungry for Chuck's Grill in that time because the atmosphere in the store had turned icy. Even Brittany had stilled her seemingly perpetual movement.

Rachel had tears in her eyes when she made her way back towards them.

"What happened?" Brittany was the one to rush forward and embrace Rachel's small frame.

Rachel's lip was quivering and tears streamed down her face. "I, we...had a disagreement. It's nothing really.

Santana just shook her head, cursing Finn out in Spanish. Brittany lead Rachel out into the storage room leaving Quinn and Santana alone in the restaurant. Santana pulled her phone out of her pocket to check the time.

"Come on Blondie, we've only got an hour left. I'll show you how to prep for the night shift."

* * *

><p>An hour later the four girls were standing in the staff car park.<p>

"So you'll both be at mine at eight so we can get ready for this party right?" Santana pointed a stern finger at both Quinn and Rachel.

Both girls nodded and Quinn reconfirmed the address and phone numbers Santana had entered into her phone. She had two hours left to shower and get her things together.

"I'll see you then," she confirmed surely.

Brittany squealed and hugged Quinn and then Rachel goodbye.

"This is going to be the best party ever. Quinn you are going to have way more fun with us than you ever had at any stuffy Carmel party," Brittany enthused.

Quinn agreed whole heartedly. She had no doubt that she could have more fun with these three girls than she ever had with all the cheerleaders at Carmel. Rachel just quirked the edges of her lips up in a half hearted attempt at a smile. Quinn gave her shoulder a quick squeeze.

She could do the physical affection thing.

Quinn opened Daisy's driver side door and clambered in, plugging in her iPod. As first days go Quinn figured she had done pretty well. She even had a party she was actually excited to attend.

_Tonight is going to be an interesting night._

She pressed play and listened to the intro on Michael Jackson's _Thriller. _

_Tonight is going to be _**_very_**_ interesting._

* * *

><p><em><em>**2nd A.N. **I would really appreciate any thought/reviews you may have for me :)


	3. Buffalo!

_Stop being chicken shit and just knock._

Quinn stood in front of Santana's front door for a full five minutes, wracked with doubt. She had showered, dressed and fixed her hair and makeup. She had driven her car to Santana's (enormous)house and approached the door with all the confidence of Carmel's HBIC. But once she actually reached that heavy door, she stopped.

Tonight would be the first time attending a party as herself. The first party since she had thrown away her old persona. She had never been to a party that didn't involve cheerleaders and football players. At the 'team only' parties she knew how to act. She would flirt with the football players and generally tease them until they were ready to bust a nut. She would be an underhanded bitch with all of the cheerleaders. She would act like...well, a bitch.

Now that she couldn't fall back on that old pattern of teasing without pleasing Quinn had no freaking clue what to do. She would have to rely on her winning charm and personality. _Well fuck._ She knew she was capable of being charming. She had the faculty at Carmel eating out of her hands as much as the students but she wasn't sure if she would be able to charm people the same way anymore. Now that she had actually met some of the people she would be working with she realised that it would be nice to have some actual, you know, friends.

The concept was so foreign to Quinn that she found she was actually terrified.

She raised her right arm for the third time, finally making contact with the door in a hard knock. The door sprang open instantly with an exclamation of _finally!_ Santana held the door open, waving Quinn though impatiently.

"Jesus Q, I thought you would never get through the damn door. What the hell? What did you think, that we're going to bite? Okay maybe Brittany will bite, but she usually saves that for me." She winked at Quinn.

Great, now Quinn was imagining Brittany as a vampire. The creepy Anne Rice kind that steal people's eyeballs.

Once Quinn was fully inside and Santana had pushed the door closed behind them both girls ran an appraising eye over the other. Quinn was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans and a red Ziggy Stardust Tshirt. Santana seemed to still be in her house clothes sporting tiny red gym shorts and a WMHS Tshirt. Her hair was immaculatey straightened and fell around her shoulders. Her makeup was subtle, only accentuating how incredibly long her eyelashes were.

"Is that what you're wearing? You know what, don't answer that because I am going to help you out. I've already gots ta find a better outfit for Berry so I might as well do you as well."

She indicated that the other girls were already upstairs and Quinn followed her deeper into the house. House may be a bit of an understatement. It was actually a bit of a mansion. They walked through the entry foyer and into a massive open living area. It was a modern home with the kitchen off the edge of the living area, divided from the rest of the room by an industrial style island counter. The whole space was tastefully furnished and beautifully decorated. They passed along the edge of the living space and approached the polished timber staircase which lead to the second floor.

Santana lead Quinn up the stairs and onto a wide landing facing a long hallway. The landing was as much a room as anything else, complete with a comfy looking couch and a coffee table that was covered in magazines. It almost looked like a doctors reception office but instead of walls covered in informative posters about avoiding STD's there was a wall of windows with sliding glass doors which opened up to a balcony. There was a blue glow shimmering up into the shade sail above the balcony and Quinn suspected that the pool must be somewhere below.

To their left was a long hallway with four doors, all of which were closed. Quinn followed Santana to the second door on the right. She could hear music and loud voices on the other side. When Santana opened the door a flood of noise greeted them.

Quinn stepped across the threshold and gazed around the room. It was beautifully decorated just like the rest of the house but the colour scheme was much darker. There was a black feature wall and the other three walls were a kindof matt grey. All four walls were smothered in music posters, some of which Quinn expected(Amy Whinehouse, David Bowie) and many she couldn't imagine Santana listening too(Interpol, The National, Modest Mouse). The bed was up against the wall opposite the door with a large closet in the corner and a messy dressing table against the right wall. In the opposite corner was the sound system which looked like it could rival Quinn's. A second door to the left lead into an en suite bathroom.

Amy Winehouse was blaring from the stereo in the corner and Brittany was dancing wildly in the wide space between the bed and the stereo. Rachel had been dancing with her when they walked in but she flopped onto the clothes covered bed when her phone lit up in her hand.

"What's your drink, Q?" Santana had closed the door and was standing in front of the dresser holding a tall glass and gesturing to a colourful collection of liquor bottles.

Quinn had to think about that. Carmel Quinn didn't really drink. Drinking wasn't a particularly wholesome habit and ultimately some of her stupidest decisions had been made drunk. Now though Quinn felt as though maybe she could do this. She could react and behave like a regular person. A regular person who could drink and even get drunk without turning into a self destructive freak.

"I don't really know. I don't drink very much. And I drove so I can't drink anything too strong."

Santana just rolled her eyes and picked up the vodka bottle and mixed it into the glass with some orange juice. She handed the glass to Quinn with the instruction to drink up.

"You're not driving Blondie. You don't have work in the morning and neither do we. You're staying here and don't even think about arguing with me."

Quinn took the glass and sipped experimentally. It was strong.

Really strong

Quinn experimented with breathing though her mouth, half expecting there to be a ripple of fumes like you can see over a container of fuel. Santana redirected her attention to the still form of Rachel who was still lying on the bed fiddling with her phone.

"You better not be messaging with the Jolly Green Giant Berry or I will be forced to confiscate your phone. And you do _not_ want me in charge of your communication devices."

"He's been texting me apologies for this afternoon. It would be rude not to respond."

"Noooo. What's rude is his being too ignorant to know that his girlfriend has better things to do with her time than consort with the Pillsbury Doughboy."

Brittany halted her dancing and jumped onto the bed beside Rachel.

"Yeah, come on Rachel we agreed that tonight's going to be a night for just us girls. Finn's not going to be at the party and we wouldn't want him there anyway."

Rachel was still tapping out a message as Brittany started poking her cheek trying to get her attention. Brittany kept saying the other girls name over and over again, punctuating each syllable with a poke. _Rachel, _poke, _Rachel, _poke. Her hand moved from the girls face and started poking into her side. Rachel yelped when Brittany gave her a solid jab.

"Ow, Brittany that hurt."

"Put your phone away!"

"Fine! I've sent my message and it's going away just stop poking me." Rachel slammed the phone down on the bed but Brittany didn't let up her poking.

Rachel was breaking down into fits of giggles as Brittany's pokes turned to full on tickling and Rachel tried to squirm away. Unfortunately she was very close to the edge of the bed. With a loud thump she hit the floor causing everyone to burst out laughing. Quinn tried to hide her laugh behind one hand but Santana was laughing hysterically grasping at her stomach. Brittany was trying to catch her breath, still laughing as she helped a blushing Rachel up off the floor.

Santana dabbed at the corner of her eyes as she said, "I think that calls for a drink."

She glanced toward the glass in Quinn's hand which was still almost full.

"Buffalo!"

_What?_

_"Buffalo, _Quinn you're holding your glass with your right hand and I'm calling Buffalo. Skull your drink with your left hand." Santana's eyes were still glistening with unshed tears but she looked deadly serious.

"What's _buffalo_ and why do I have to drink?"

Brittany looked like she couldn't believe there was a person who didn't know what 'Buffalo' meant but Rachel looked just as confused as Quinn felt. Santana looked between Quinn and Rachel with bemused contempt.

"Damn you guys are lame," Santana said causing Quinn's eyes to narrow.

Brittany turned down the music a little as Santana explained. Clearly this was serious business.

"It's a drinking game. If you're caught drinking with your dominant hand and someone yells Buffalo then you have to finnish your drink. When you empty your glass you yell—"

Brittany interrupted excitedly and shouted, "Youth Warrior!" with her hands splayed across her stomach.

"Thanks Britt. So you say 'Youth Warrior' like you really mean it and go get yourself a new drink," Santana looked at Quinn expectantly. "And I. Call. Buffalo."

Quinn couldn't help but laugh out loud. As drinking games go it was certainly a simple one. She shrugged and downed the vodka orange in one go.

Draining the glass she thrust both arms into the air and shouted into the room, "Youth Warrior!"

Quinn sincerely hoped that Santana's family was somewhere else tonight as the three girls around her whooped and cheered for the first 'Buffalo' of the night. Santana looked at her like a proud parent as she took Quinn's glass and placed it next to the bottles of alcohol.

Lining up four shot glasses, she pulled out a new bottle which contained a golden liquid. The tequila was poured evenly into the shot glasses and Santana placed a lime wedge from a small container onto each glass. She licked her own hand once and then coated the same spot with salt from a shaker which she proceeded to offer to Rachel who looked hesitant.

"Come on Berry, you promised you were going to have fun with us tonight."

"Santana, while I would argue that fun doesn't necessarily—" Rachel started.

"Just take the damn salt Berry." Santana interrupted, thrusting the shaker into the shorter girl's hands.

Rachel took the shaker, hesitantly licking the back of her hand before carefully dusting it with the salt. She passed it to Brittany who did the same before grabbing Quinn's wrist tightly to lift her hand up to her mouth. _She wouldn't._ Without warning Brittany ran the flat of her tongue across the back of Quinn's hand. _Oh God, she would._ She grinned at her with a wink before applying the salt and placing the shaker back on the table. Santana distributed the tequila shots with a smirk at Quinn's expression.

Brittany raised her glass, "To Sweet Lady Kisses!", licked away the salt on her hand, downed the shot in one and thrust the lime into her mouth with evident relish.

Santana whooped and completed her shot. Rachel looked at Quinn who laughed and raised a challenging eyebrow. Rachel inclined her head towards Quinn in a small salute and they completed their shots a beat later. Santana cranked up the music again as a track by The Hives came on.

_Here is to you honey_

_But I'm out of your league_

Quinn felt the tequila humming through her system as Santana thrust a new drink into her and Rachel's hands taking the empty shot glasses back to the dresser.

"Drink up ladies. I'm gonna get into something sexy and when I get back we're gonna see about finding some outfits for you two that don't make you look home schooled."

Quinn glanced down at her Tshirt and skinny jeans as Rachel exclaimed, "I don't look home-schooled! What's wrong with this dress? I'm not even wearing my knee highs."

Santana gave her a look which clearly stated _What _**_isn't_**_ wrong with that dress_ before pulling what appeared to be a black dress out of her cupboard and dragging Brittany into the bathroom with her. The door closed and Rachel thew herself back onto the bed, careful not to spill her drink.

"God I hope they aren't having sex in there." Rachel groaned.

Quinn double checked the words in her head before asking, "Would they really do that? With us right here I mean."

Rachel took a sip of her drink before nodding. "I'm not sure there is a member of the Glee club left who hasn't walked in on them in some kind of compromising position. Those two have no sense of what is appropriate public behavior."

"I heard that Hobbit!" came a voice from inside the bathroom.

Quinn glanced at the closed bathroom door once before positioning herself on the opposite wall, as far away as possible. Rachel chuckled at Quinn as she sipped quietly at her own drink.

"They're probably just getting dressed."

_Probably. Dear God._

Quinn could feel the alcohol taking effect in her system and she focused her attention on Rachel who was sitting cross legged on the bed cradling the drink in her lap.

"So why isn't Finn coming?" _Why would you ask that Quinn?_

Rachel luckily seemed fine with the question. "He has to start work early in the morning. He works for his stepdad at Hummel Tires and Lube and they're rebuilding something...Or fitting something...Or tying up the back of...Something. Honestly I don't know anything about cars so the whole thing is a bit of a mystery to me."

Quinn just nodded searching desperately for an easier topic of conversation.

"So do you work tomorrow?" _Perfect._

_"_No I have tomorrow off. We all do." _Idiot._

"Right. I knew that already," Quinn said, remembering that Santna had said as much less then twenty minutes ago.

Rachel glanced at the stereo as she spoke. "I don't really know this music but I think I really like it. Are you familiar with," she jumped forward and checked the iPod connected to the stereo. "The Arcade Fire?" She said it hesitantly.

Quinn paid attention to the music once again.

"Yeah, The Arcade Fire are pretty awesome." She struggled to think of something to add. "They cleaned up at the Grammy's a few years ago I think."

"Yes, that sounds about right. I honestly tend to listen to show tunes more than anything else although I have a certain appreciation for this kind of music. I'll have to raid Santana's collection. I'd intended on expanding my musical repertoire before I moved to New York. The opportunities for seeing bands live are extensive of course, and I wish to take full advantage of that. And of course I'll be seeing as many Broadway shows as my pocket book will allow. That's actually my main reason for having this job. My fathers have been saving for my education since the day I was born so I don't have to worry about general living expenses. But extra curricular endeavors will have to come from my own income."

_Wow that was a lot of words._

"Um, yeah, I'm actually doing the same thing except I've already decided I'll be spending my first pay on some new vinyl."

_Wait Fathers? As in more than one?_

"Wait did you say Fathers? Do you mean like your Dad and also you Step..." Quinn stopped when she saw Rachel shaking her head.

"No I have two gay Dads."

_Okay. Adjusting...Adjusting...Coping...Accepting._

"Right," she said quickly. "That makes sense I guess." She paused trying to think of something else to say. "So...What's it like?" _Really Fabray? You're on a roll, idiot._

Rachel just shrugged, smiling brightly, "It's exactly like having two parents who love me no matter what. Lots of people think that I'm missing out on something but really I'm completely blessed to have two people who I know will always be there for me."

Quinn shifted from leaning on the wall to sitting at the foot of the bed. Rachel had parents who loved her unconditionally and Quinn couldn't help but feel a level of jealousy. Her own Father had kicked her out of home when he had found out she was pregnant. And her Mother had let him. Judy accepted Quinn back at home eventually but their relationship was hardly what one would call close.

The door to the bathroom opened at that moment and Santana stepped out wearing the black, skin tight strip of fabric which was currently posing as a dress. It was strapless, showing off ample cleavage and was very, very short. Brittany had also changed her clothes and was a little more covered up. She was now wearing an extremely bright ensemble of solid colours including loose navy-blue pants in a shiny material and a mustard coloured top.

"Okay, it's your turn Q, Smurfette. I'm assigning you an outfit and you are going to accept it with gratitude and without complaint. Understand? Auntie Tana knows best."

Rachel rolled her eyes and of course tried to argue, "But Santana I really don't see how—"

Santana cut her off abruptly. "Save it Berry, I'm running this show and I will accept do disrespect to my obviously superior fashion sense."

Brittany sat down on the bed with a new drink in her hand and a small smile on her face as Santana started pulling more clothes out of her cupboard, throwing them on the bed. She looked at Quinn speculatively from her position in front of the cupboard.

"Okay you're gonna have to take that Tshirt off Blondie."

_Wait What?_

Santana explained, "I already know what I have to work with on Berry's puny body—It's some smokin-hot legs incase you were wondering—but I need to know what Quinn Fabray has to offer the fine people of Lima. Come on Blondie I'm not letting you outside in that shirt so you might as well just accept the inevitable."

Quinn just stared at her.

"Come on Q, quit wasting time. Don't make me pin you to the ground and take it from you."

Quinn huffed out a disgruntled sigh, glaring at Santana. She placed her glass on the ground beside the bed and shifted her hands to the hem of her T-shirt. It wasn't like she was ashamed of her body. She had worked hard after Beth was born even managing to get some definition back into her abs. But there was nothing really, that she could do about the silvery lines that were the permanent reminder of the way her body had been so distorted during the pregnancy.

Shooting Santana another filthy look she let the shirt fall onto the bed and placed her hands on her hips to avoid folding them across her chest. She raised a cocky eyebrow at Santana who seemed suitably impressed. Whether she was impressed with Quinn's body of by her attitude she couldn't tell.

"Well," Quinn challenged. "What does Auntie Tana recommend?"

Santanalooked thoughtful as she circled Quinn once. Finally she clapped her hands once together and rushed back to the piles of clothes on the bed.

"I've got it!"

She rummaged through the clothes, nudging at Rachel's leg to get her to shift off some clothes that had ended up underneath her legs. Pulling out a scrap of dark blue cloth, she turned in triumph.

"You can keep the jeans on since they're not too heinous. But you're wearing this."

Quinn took the top gingerly and inspected it. It was going to be short on Quinn and probably show at least an inch of flesh above the top of her low rise jeans. But that would be nothing compared to the amount of skin she would be showing through the strings that made up the back of the top. She wouldn't be able to wear a bra with it and she said as much to Santana who just smirked and threw a fresh pack of stick-on chicken fillets at her.

Quinn had _never_ worn anything like it and she could only laugh when she thought of what her mother would say if she caught Quinn wearing it.

"I'm gonna take that as a yes Quinn because, mostly you have no other choice." Santana shoved her into the bathroom and closed the door. "You have five minutes."

Quinn made quick work of the bra and threw on the top as quickly as possible. She did what she could with the adhesive strips under the top and sighed as she turned on the spot in front of the full length mirror behind the door. The top was actually quite flattering and the neckline did some amazing things for her cleavage considering she wasn't wearing a bra. She would never have chosen it for herself but she had to admit that Santana knew what she was doing.

As promised the door was pushed open after five minutes, startling Quinn who jumped back from the door. Santana pulled Quinn out by the arm and bodily pushed Rachel into the bathroom with a pile of clothes. She slammed the door giving her the same time limit. Santna fushed Quinn out into the space in front of the stereo and demanded that Quinn do a twirl to show off the ensemble.

"Looking fine Fabray. Damn, but I am good." Santana looked decidedly smug as though she was solely responsible for the state of Quinn's body.

Quinn rolled her eyes, deciding she need another drink as Brittany added, "Yeah I would totally do you."

With that Quinn retrieved her glass from the floor and mixed herself another vodka orange.

She turned around when the bathroom door opened and she seriously couldn't stop her jaw from hitting the floor.

_Holy. Freaking. Hell._

Who knew someone so short could have legs so long. Rachel looked half shy, half pleased as she stood in the doorway to the bathroom shifting her weight slowly from one foot to the other. Quinn couldn't stop the way her eyes traveled over the other girls body. Santana had put her in an emerald green dress which was a little longer than Santana's but not by much, the hem stopping well above mid thigh. The top half of the dress had a kind of wave which molded to the natural curve of her breasts. The dress hugged Rachel's figure perfectly, accentuating her excellent figure and her incredibly long, tanned and toned legs.

By the time Quinn's gaze reached Rachel's deep brown eyes, she was blushing deeply, realising that she had been staring at the girl. Rachel met Quinn's eyes with a grin before glancing down at Quinn's outfit which she had obviously missed in the bathroom shuffle.

"You look lovely Quinn."

Quinn blushed even harder as she managed to reply, "You look beautiful."

And it was true. Rachel had pulled her hair out of the pony tail and had the waves sweeping over one bare shoulder. Her eyes had a smokey look to them which Quinn realised must have been applied while she was in the bathroom changing. Quinn gulped once, desperately trying to regain some sense of composure.

She glanced at Santana and Brittany who were snuggle up together against the headboard of the bed watching the two girls. Brittany was smiling broadly, her eyes bouncing back and forth between the two girls as though she was watching a tennis match.

"You did good San. They both look smokin-hot."

Santna gave a shrug. "What can I say? I have a gift."

Quinn snorted at this and then snapped her hand to her mouth in an attempt to smother the noise.

_Yeah, just a little drunk._

Santana raised one perfectly manicured eyebrow before checking the time on her phone.

"Okay ladies. One more shot of tequila and we're out of here."

* * *

><p>AN: Yes I know this was a kinda shorter chapter and I'm sorry but I promise the party(Which I'm already writing) is going to be fun. Alcohol, music, deep drunken conversation and sweet lady kisses(And not just the lame spin the bottle kind)<p> 


	4. Not Grinding Per Se

A.N: Thanks guys for the reviews and story alerts/favourites. Love you all so much.

* * *

><p><em>You are <em>_**the**__ Quinn Fabray. You are hot, confident and you can do this._

The party was well underway when they arrived at a small suburban home that was overflowing with loud music and the general racket of a party. Quinn was fighting the urge to turn around and stumble back to her car. Before she could begin to calculate her blood alcohol level and subsequent driving abilities Santana pushed open the front door. She had brought the half bottle of tequila with her and she was swinging it wildly above her head as she stepped through the door. On the other side was a living area with one very crowded couch and coffee table with a large amp set up in one corner. The room was packed with people who largely ignored the new arrivals at the front door. Santana stood waving and shouting to gain everyone's attention.

"Sup Assholes! Okay, everyone needs to pay attention here. Everyone!" she glared some of the group into silence though some continued to ignore her shouting over the music. Santana continued anyway. "Right. Some hot bitches are abouts to get all up in here and you's best be showing some respect." Santana hollered.

Brittany raced past Santana to hug someone(or everyone) in the crowd and Santana gestured for both Rachel and Quinn who were loitering in the doorway to come in.

"Up here Honeys." Santana called them reaching one arm out to pull Quinn into her side. She stretched out again and forced a startled looking Rachel into Quinn's other side. Quinn stumbled slightly, wedged in between the two girls. A Quinn sandwich, she thought. Maybe with rye bread since she had a brunette on each side. Quinn giggled. Santana gave them both a (drunk)encouraging wink and then returned to shouting at the group assembled in front of them.

She mimicked the tone an announcer at a boxing match as she yelled over the music, "Allow me to RE-introduce the illustrious, the incomparable, the painfully annoying yet sneaky hot...Rachel Berry!" Rachel looked suitably mortified and quickly detached herself from Quinn to disappear into the crowd. "And in her debut performance, our brand new colleague and fellow shit kicker over at Chuck's Deceased Beast Feast. A force to be reckoned with, fresh from the dank and unyielding cesspool of Carmel. The one. The only. The Fierce Bowie fan from Iowa. I'm thinking of calling her Mouse but you can call her whatever the fuck you want to...Quinn Fabray!"

Santana finished off her performance with a bow. Quinn is _so_ not okay with being called 'Mouse'. Quinn was ready to disappear into the ground but Santana didn't release her grip from Quinn's waist.

"Come on Blondie. You. Me. Tequila shots. Now."

Santana's grip around Quinn's waist remained strong as she guided Quinn through the crowd of people. The layout of the house meant that they had no choice but to walk through the crowded living area to get to the kitchen which was on the other side of an archway at the back of the living area.

There were probably thirty people jammed into the small space but Santana seemed to be picky about which people would get to _officially_ meet Quinn. She guided her through piles of red cups and past a small keg on a table to a small group of people which now included a red faced Rachel. Santana introduced two boys next to her as Blain and Kurt. Quinn had no idea which was which because Santana had gestured to both of them as though they were a unit. The one with the bow tie shook her hand with a _pleasure to meet you_ and a friendly smile. The other pale boy next to him spent a long moment looking her up and down before giving her a half wave. Quinn might have thought he was checking her out but his eyes lingered on the shoes Santana had loaned her for far longer than any straight boy's would. Queer as a three dollar bill .

Beside the pale boy was a cheerful looking black girl who Santana addressed as wheezy but introduced as Mercedes. Next to Mercedes was a boy in a wheel chair whom Santana blatantly ignored and then a cute blonde boy with an incredibly huge mouth. When he was introduced as Sam Quinn remembered the Rachel had mentioned him just that afternoon.

"You work on opposite days to Santana," she blurted.

The blonde boy looked at her quizzically while Santana nodded, "Yeah we have Trouty Mouth here take Sundays because Sunday is family day at Chuck's and none of us would want to deprive any of the tiny children the chance to come and see the amazing fish-human hybrid."

Sam just laughed at the obvious barb. "Nice to see you to Santana."

Santana abruptly turned away from the group throwing a _later losers _thrown over her shoulder. She had spotted Brittany and was dragging Quinn towards the taller blonde. She was talking with two Asian kids who had their arms wrapped around each other in a sickeningly loving fashion. The girl who introduced herself as Tina seemed to have recently grown out of a goth phase as her makeup and clothes had a distinctly goth-ish look to them but her hair had golden streaks through the top layers which softened the whole look. She introduced the tall, silent boy next to her as Mike.

_Ha, maybe they could plug him in later for Karaoke. Badum dah! _Okay bad puns are to stay inside her head and not be spoken aloud.

Santana didn't bother with the introductions, preferring to lean into Brittany and whisper in her ear. Quinn and Tina exchanged basic pleasantries before Quinn was pulled away towards the kitchen again. She sighed as she allowed herself to be pulled by her arm, afraid that if she didn't Santana would dislocate her shoulder. And she needed her shoulder. For drinking.

Santana smacked the Tequila bottle down on the island in the centre of the kitchen pulling out shot glasses and salt with a familiarity which said she knew the layout of the kitchen well. She opened the fridge and pulled out a bowl of lemon wedges. Burying her head in the fridge, she seemed to be hunting for something else pushing aside jars and containers on the door of the fridge. Quinn leaned against the counter by the sink as she waited for her shot. Santana gave up on what she was looking for in the fringe and went to yell out the archway to the living room.

"Hey Puck where the fuck did you put my beer? There were three bottles in this fridge last night."

A male voice grunted out from the living room. A familiar voice.

"Cool it San, I just threw them in the back fridge to make room in this one. Like I'd drink your bougie little micro brews anyway, they're completely..."

He trailed off as he entered the kitchen and saw Quinn leaning against the counter.

"Holy Fuck."

_Holy Fuck._

Quinn slapped herself internally. She'd heard the name a few times that day. Puck. But she hadn't made the connections. He had introduced himself to Quinn as Noah Puckerman. The boy who didn't bother showing up to work that day because he was hungover. Quinn struggled to maintain her breathing. Right there was the useless bastard who had gotten her pregnant at sixteen. Noah Puckerman, the father of her bastard child. The boy that had wanted to name their child Beth. The boy that had wanted to keep Beth and raise her with Quinn was standing just six feet away, on the other side of a narrow kitchen island.

Quinn grabbed the tequila bottle and pored herself a shot, downing it in one. Santana looked between them awkwardly.

"Apparently you've met before."

"You could say that." Quinn gritted out as she poured herself another shot.

Noah, that is to say _Puck_ looked at his feet, clenching his hands into tight fists. They hadn't been in contact since the day Beth was born. Quinn had given Beth up for adoption and she felt no urge to maintain any contact with the boy who still hadn't shaved that ridiculous mohawk off his head. Whatever had possessed Quinn to sleep with a guy with a mohawke she still had no idea. Everything else aside. The guy looks like he's stuck somewhere between washed-out-punk and grease-monkey-reject.

Puck finally looks up from his shoes to look at Quinn. "So...how have you been?"

Quinn's head is swimming with the alcohol but she downs another shot anyway—_Why the fuck not right?—_and pours another.

Puck continues, "Have you heard anything about..." he trailed off when Quinn gave him a withering glare. "Right. No, I guess not."

Puck knew perfectly well that Quinn had opted for a closed adoption. She tried not to think about how heartbreaking it had been to sign those papers. But it was for the best.

Puck ran his hand through his hair. "Okay, so I guess we're gonna be working together now so how about I, err, stay out of your way tonight."

Quinn did not want to deal with him. She gave him a look which clearly stated that if he wanted to keep his balls he should stay out of her way. Puck looked mildly terrified and he turned quickly to leave the kitchen.

Santana yelled out to his retreating back, "Hey send Berry in will ya!" she then turned to face Quinn as she poured three new shots into the waiting glasses. "Care to explain Blondie? What, did he leave you at the alter or something? Cause that death glare you were giving him just now was scary as fuck."

Quinn didn't want to talk about it so she told Santana to drop it handing her one of the shots with a lemon wedge balanced on top. Santana took it but said they had to wait for Rachel. They didn't have to wait long as the brunette bounced into the room a moment later.

Her eyes sparkled with amusement and Quinn felt her own mood lighten almost instantly. Rachel's effervescent personality buoyed Quinn's mood. She felt happier just being in the same room as the other girl. Quinn hadn't had a real chance to experience the effect Rachel had on her—hhat with all the meat grilling and then Rachel's being upset over her boyfriend. But they had spent some two hours together—under the influence of alcohol no less—and Quinn could easily see how much she liked the other girl. She could imagine them being good friends.

Quinn smiled at Rachel and handed her the third shot glass, licking the back of her hand so Santana could dust the salt across it. Rachel did the same without hesitation and smiled at Quinn.

"To new friends!" Rachel cried.

Santana rolled her eyes but downed her shot anyway. Quinn followed, laughing and smiling broadly at Rachel's cute grimace following the lemon part of her shot. Everything Rachel did was in some way adorable. Except for crying. Rachel should never cry and four—or was it five—shots of tequila in Quinn was more than ready to keep the tiny brunette from anything that could hurt her.

Santana's eyebrow quirked as she observed Quinn's rapid change from thundering glower to sparkling happiness. No one could have missed the way Quinn had lit up at the sight of their resident diva. Quinn couldn't hide it and she didn't want to. Especially now that her head was swimming with an alcoholic buzz and she could feel the heavy base from the speakers vibrating through her body.

Brittany, Tina a Mike came into the kitchen then, demanding another round of shots.

Once Santna had poured the new shot they clinked their glasses—once again with a toast to new friends—and Rachel threaded her arm through Quinn's with her arm wrapped securely across Quinn's lower back. Her hand shifted to rest against Quinn's waist.

Conversation flowed easily through the group and Quinn was content to just sit and listen to the group of friends talk about everything and nothing. When a new song came on Quinn's heart clenched tightly. She didn't know the song. It didn't matter. The beat of the song somehow synced up with the rhythm of her heart and it sent a shiver up her spine.

"Let's dance," she said suddenly pulling away from Rachel and grasping the hand which slipped from her back. "We have to dance to this song because dancing awesome and I love you guys. Come on!"

The group all grinned at each other before following them out to the makeshift dance space in front of the stereo. There was no one there dancing yet but that didn't matter to Quinn who dragged Rachel by the hand to the middle of the space. She loved to dance and the alcohol was giving her a heady feeling of euphoria. She threw herself into the music, moving her body to the rhythm of her heart and to the rhythmic thumping of the bass vibrating through the air.

Quinn twisted and turned as her body absorbed each thumping vibration coming from the amp just a few feet away. She whipped her hair around her face to feel it brushing against her face. She felt the press of more bodies as Brittany, Santana, Mike and Tina joined them. The couples fused together, pressing and shifting on every beat. More people joined them as the next song picked up the pace. Quinn didn't mind who else was dancing. She was too wrapped up in the music.

Yet more bodies pressed into the dance space. The temperature rose with the collective body heat. In the centre Quinn remained enamored with the baseline. It vibrated through her chest and made her heart race. Rachel was by her side. Her body swayed to the beat, just like Quinn's. By chance, their eyes met. Their movements became unconsciously synchronized. They shifted closer to one another. Their breath mingled as they stared, neither willing to break their gaze. The air was electric and Rachel reached one hand up to press against the back of Quinn's neck. Their bodies drew closer. Quinn felt a friction on the skin of her neck as Rachel's fingers tangled into the fine hairs along the edge of her hairline.

With every pulsing beat. With every brush of skin against her bare arms. With every passing moment Quinn was driven further from her higher thought process. The alcohol raged through her system, reducing her to form and function without thought. Quinn was no longer a person with thoughts and feelings. She was a body and nothing more.

The body known as Quinn closed her eyes and felt the air against her skin. She felt her hair sticking to her face as the heat caused her skin to become slick with sweat. She felt Rachel just millimeters from her, the heat of each body radiating, reaching for the other. The body known as Quinn opened her eyes and raised her hands above her head. The lights in the room had changed. The harsh overheads had been replaced by lamps in the corners and a string of globes laced along the ceiling. She let her gaze become unfocused as the lights seemed to pulse and throb with the music that continued to pulse and throb through Quinn. She lowered her arms again to entangle herself more with Rachel. Rachel's came into focus. Quinn lost herself in her eyes.

They swayed and rocked to the beat. Their bodies remained a breath apart. Never touching. Their arms and eyes kept them locked in their agonising closeness. Both desperate to close the gap but neither willing to risk breaking the intensity of their gaze. Hazel eyes stared intently into shining brown. Two glistening faces displayed a focus which was mirrored in their movements. They drove each other harder. Wordlessly challenging each other to deepen the intensity, to somehow surpass the limits of their carnal connection. The bass thrummed louder causing a shiver to run though their bodies simultaneously. Suddenly they were merged into one being. A writhing and desperate animal with no other will or desire than to be in this moment. To absorb and be absorbed by the merciless, seductive, irresistible beat.

It was madness. It was intense. It was so hot.

It was sexy as hell. But also hot...as in temperature. The party suddenly roared back into focus. The walls and roof and floor became solid once again.

Quinn had no idea how long they had been dancing. It could have been hours, days even. She awoke as if from a stupor and registered that her hand had acted of its own accord and attached itself to Rachel's hip. As Quinn looked at it she saw her thumb making small circles there. When did her extremities start acting autonomously?

The focused rhythm the two girls had been locked in suddenly snapped like an overstretched rubber band and Quinn recoiled back into herself just as quickly. She suddenly realised realised how hot it was and she needed to get out of the gyrating mass of bodies before she evaporated. She pushed gently at Rachel's hip and turned away from the grip Rachel had on the back of her neck. Rachel let her pull away. Quinn forced herself to refocus on her surroundings as she found Rachel's hand slipping into her own. Quinn moved out of the circle of people with Rachel by her side.

Once she reached the wall she pressed her head against the hard, cool surface hoping to cool her heated skin. She released Rachel's hand and turned to press her back against the wall. The skin exposed by her stringy top felt almost stung by the cold surface. Quinn needed the stinging sensation to clear her head. Rachel let her body fall against the wall, tilting her head back to rest against the plaster.

Quinn watched as the group of dancers started to disperse. It seemed like a spell had been broken when Quinn and Rachel had separated from the circle. The couples that had been grinding heavily against each other separated with sheepish smiles and motioned their intent to find fresh beverages.

A few moments later a shout of 'Buffalo' could be heard from the kitchen. This was followed by laughter and cheers and eventually a rousing cry of "Youth Warrior!" from what sounded like Brittany, Mike and some other guy. Maybe Bow Tie Boy. Was he Kurt or Blaine? Quinn didn't know. She didn't really care. She was way more preoccupied with what had just happened with Rachel.

They hadn't been _grinding_ per se. But the way they had been dancing was so...

"Intimate." Oh shit that just came out of her mouth didn't it. She glanced at Rachel who was staring at her in a way that told Quinn she had indeed spoken aloud.

Quinn slid down the wall until she was sitting on the ground, her legs splayed out in front of her. Rachel followed gracefully, carefully holding her dress against her thighs. Once she reached the floor she delicately crossed her outstretched legs at the ankle.

Rachel faced forward as she addressed Quinn, shouting to be heard over the music. "That was. Interesting," she shouted out a laugh. "Tequila is awesome." she turned her head to grin maniacally at Quinn.

Quinn almost laughed in relief as she remembered that—_oh yeah—_they were both obscenely drunk. It was the alcohol. The alcohol made her want to dance like that. The alcohol had her pulling herself closer to Rachel. Alcohol made Quinn want to run her hands through the brunette's hair and caress down her back to press her hands against her incredible—

No she wasn't thinking like that at all. Drunk or not, Quinn would keep her thoughts clean and pure and—

_Oh god. Rachel. Just. Touched me._

Rachel leaned into Quinn's side and cupped one hand against her ear. Quinn waited for her to say something, resisting the shiver brought on by Rachel's warm breath brushing down her neck. The flow of air felt amazing against her skin. She was definitely drunk on tequila but she was also insanely intoxicated on the girl beside her.

"I—I like your hair" she whispered conspiratorially. "It's so...flicky"

Rachel is adorable. She sat back and grinned at Quinn who couldn't help but grin right back at her. Quinn could feel the tension from moments before dissolving. Rachel's natural bubbliness was working its magic on Quinn. Who was very drunk. Rachel was also very drunk. They were two very drunk people and Quinn was convinced that their drunkenness was compounded by the other person's drunkenness.

Wait, that made sense right?

Quinn reviewed that thought and then giggled. Rachel laughed at the sound, falling harder into Quinn's side with one hand landing against Quinn's thigh to help correct her balance.

_Why Miss Rachel, how forward of you. _

Quinn felt a tingling fire burn through her body. The burn radiated out from one spot on her upper thigh. From the skin beneath Rachel's warm palm.

Rachel looked into Quinn's face with what she must have meant as a serious expression. Her mouth was set in a firm line, only quirking up a little in the corners.

"That's not what I meant to say."

Huh? Quinn had to seriously think about what Rachel had said to her. Oh right. Her hair is flicky.

Rachel continued speaking as her attempt at a serious expression transitioned into a blissful smile.

"You're a beautiful girl Quinn Fabray. The most beautiful-ist," she hesitated over the awkward non-word. "The most beautiful-ist beautiful girl ever. Ever." She finished with a nod.

Quinn felt the blood rush to her cheeks. She felt surprise that there was any blood left in her body that wasn't already rushing down. Rachel's hand on her leg became even heavier.

Rachel was still talking and Quinn tried her best to keep up with what she was saying. She shifted slightly away from Rachel.

"Are you my friend Quinn Fabray?" she broke eye contact with Quinn to look down at her own hand on Quinn's leg. She looked surprised to find it there and shifted it back into her lap, sitting up a little straighter. "I would really love to be your friend and I'm not just saying that as a needy girl drunk either."

Quinn latched onto a the last part of the statement. "What's a needy girl drunk?"

Rachel's face contorted into a disgruntled grimace. "Oh that's just what that, that big tall, tall person Finn Hudson said I was. A needy girl drunk. I didn't like that at all."

Quinn was pretty confident that Finn was in fact an idiot. Finn was like a big giant idiot who wanted to hurt Rachel with his—What did Santana say?—Fincompetance. Quinn congratulated herself on the use of a word with more than three syllables. Even if the word was a made up one. Or one of those joined words. Like brunch or spork. She looked down at Rachel and smiled.

"I think Finn Hudson should keep his assessments to himself. And I am your friend Rachel," Rachel beamed. "Are you my friend?" Quinn asked hesitantly.

"Yes I am." Rachel said with a nod of her head.

Three little words can make a girl smile.

Rachel picked up Quinn's hand to hold it in her own. Rachel's hands were soft. Like a duck. No not a duck. Duck feather down is soft but not like a person's skin. And all of that was completely beside the point because Rachel's hands were so soft and her fingers were playing across Quinn's knuckles.

Quinn allowed her body to slide against the wall so she was pressed into Rachel's side again. Rachel leaned her head against Quinn's shoulder and Quinn smiled as she watched her new friends dance around Puck's living room. The intense atmosphere of their dance had almost completely disappeared and Quinn felt a sense of contentment as she leaned into her new friend. It was difficult for Quinn to believe that she had only met Rachel earlier that morning.

* * *

><p>There was a generic dance track blaring through the speakers and the heavy base had Brittany and Mike and a few others up and moving. There was no signs of the frantic energy from before though. Quinn spotted Santana on the other side of the room fiddling with the iPod attached to the speaker. With a discordant screech and thud she unplugged the audio jack, halting the music.<p>

"Your track selection is shit Puckerman. It's time for some real music."

She swapped in her mp3 player and the opening notes to a track Quinn knew well came through the speaker.

_Rosemary_

_Heaven restores you in life_

A smile lit Quinn's face as she closed her eyes to better hear the song. Because clearly the use of her eyes was interrupting the function of her brain. The song was fabulously fucked up. Quinn had never been able to decide whether it was a love song or not. There were lines about trials and murder and others about pleasure and others about loneliness. She started to sing along quietly.

_When your friends they do come crying_

_Tell them now your pleasure's set upon slow release_

She kept her eyes closed, singing the lyrics low enough that no one save she and Rachel could hear them. She felt Rachel shift beside her

_You're weightless; you are exotic_

_You need something for which to care_

Rachel shifted to look at her more fully. Her eyes were warm, almost golden in the half light cast by the lamps scattered about the room.

_Leave some shards under the belly_

_Lay some grease inside my hand_

_It's a sentimental jury_

_And the making of a good plan_

_You've come to love me lightly_

_Yea you come to hold me tight_

_Is this motion ever lasting _

_Or do shudders pass in the night?_

Quinn stops singing. Her eyes are locked to Rachel's again. She feels an echo of their earlier connection. She blinks once. So does Rachel. They hold their gaze. Their faces are so close Quinn can feel Rachel's breath against her cheek. Rachel's eyes flicker to Quinn;s mouth. It's a tiny motion but Quinn is so sure that she saw it.

The spell is broken by the next song. It's Tenacious D and everyone cheers, ready to sing along to 'Tribute'. Rachel stands up suddenly and Quinn automatically follows.

"I need to pee." Rachel takes Quinn's hand and leads her out of the room.

* * *

><p>Quinn waited for Rachel outside the bathroom door, leaning her shoulder against the wall with her arms crossed. She had her weight resting on one leg with the toe of her other shoe tapping against the floor. The hallway she was standing in led off the living room toward what Quinn assumed were the bedrooms.<p>

One of the doors opened. A giggling Santana and Brittany stumbled out of one of the rooms. Santana's expression became decidedly devious when she spotted Quinn. She grabbed Brittany's hand as she moved towards the waiting blonde.

"Hey Mouse," Quinn's brow crinkled at the new nickname. "Or maybe Kitten should be your new nickname? As in sex kitten if the way you were grinding with Berry was any indication of your future interactions."

Brittany nodded adding her own thoughts, "Or maybe 'Pussy' since you obviously like—"

Santana dug an elbow into the girls ribs, stopping her mid sentence. Quinn just blushed.

"It's really not like that," she was too drunk to deal with anything like this right now. "I'm drunk. We're all drunk. Having a good time you know."

Quinn could hear a tap running inside the bathroom and was suddenly desperate for this conversation to be done before Rachel emerged. Santana gave her a calculating look.

"Well if it makes any difference," she glanced at the door to the bathroom. "I approve. But if you hurt her I will go all Lima Heights."

Brittany snapped her fingers and accompanied the action with a faux ghetto head gesture. Up until that moment Quinn had felt that she herself was the whitest girl alive. Now she handed that crown to Brittany.

On that note the bathroom door opened. Rachel stumbled out into the hall. She grinned at the blonde waiting for her and Quinn couldn't help but return the smile as her hazel gaze automatically shifted to Rachel's huge brown eyes. Santana shook her head at them both.

She pointed a finger at Quinn, "Just remember what I've said Blondie," she said sternly. Quinn ignored her.

Brittany looked between Santana and Quinn then Quinn and Rachel. Tears shimmered in her eyes brightly. Without warning she flung her long arms out and dragged all three of them into a tangled group hug. "You should have told me you were a unicorn Quinn. And you should have even more Rachel. But I'll forgive you both because...Because you guys are gonna make the most beautiful lady babies one day," she paused as though truly moved by her own statement. "This is gonna be the best summer ever."

Santana choked out around Brittany's strangling grip ,"Fuck yeah it is, Britt".

Brittany finally released the girls, who all gasped in deep breaths of air. Santana linked her pinky with Brittany's and lead her back into the dance space. The music became suddenly even louder and Rachel led Quinn through the kitchen and out the back door. It was hot inside and the loud music was starting to get to both girls. The back door accessed a broad balcony jutting out into the backyard. There were three shallow steps that led down onto the grass and Rachel plopped herself down on the top one, dragging Quinn with her.

It was a beautiful night and Quinn breathed in deeply. She could smell fresh cut grass, cool summer air and night jasmine. There was also the intoxicating fragrance that was Rachel Berry. Quinn could smell her shampoo. Something like herbs, chocolate and vanilla all at once. The tequila couldn't hide what must have been her body wash or perfume. Quinn couldn't pinpoint a specific simile for it.

She resisted the urge to bury her face in the other girls hair, but only just. She settled for sitting as close to Rachel as she could. They sat in silence for a while, their arms linked as they looked up at the stars just breathing deep and enjoying the cool night air. Quinn could feel herself sobering up slightly but her buzz was still heavy in her brain as she tried to think of something to say. Rachel finally stopped swaying and started humming to herself. Quinn recognised the tune as the Interpol song she herself had been singing along to earlier.

"I'm surprised you know that song," she murmured quietly.

Rachel stopped humming. "I don't know it. But I have excellent retention for music. I'm humming it back to myself so I can find it again later. I quite enjoyed it. I also liked your singing Quinn. Even if you did go a little sharp. You have a lovely speaking voice and I don't suppose I should be surprised that you can sing as well. Do you sing often?"

Quinn just laughed. "In church sometimes. I haven't had lessons or anything.

Quinn felt inexplicably shy as she tried to find a topic of conversation which could divert them for more than a few short sentences. She was seriously worried that all of those shots she had consumed had caused some instant brain damage or something.

"Did you know that there was an Italian composer once," Quinn started speaking, glad that her words weren't slurred. "Who listened to a mozart symphony just once, like he went to a concert in like Germany or wherever and then went back to Italy and he wrote the sheet music for the symphony. Isn't that amazing. He listened to something once and then went and composed the sheet music for a whole orchestra."

Quinn really wished she could remember more details, like the guys name. Rachel didn't seem to mind as she nodded along.

"I sometimes wish i were a musical genius. I mean obviously I'm talented but I still have to work really hard to achieve my musical ambitions."

Quinn couldn't help but scoff at the girls big headedness. Quinn knew the girl must be have some mad skills to have gotten into a top New York arts school but still there was something like arrogance in the way Rachel talked about her talent.

Rachel pushed herself away from Quinn with an adorable pout. "Did you just laugh at me? Because you haven't even heard me sing yet."

Quinn's smile got wider and the crease between Rachel's eyebrows deepened.

"Fine," she said, drawing completely away from Quinn and down the stairs.

Her heels sank into the grass but she righted herself quickly taking a deep breath.

Quinn's own breath left her body as the first crystal clear notes filled the night. There was still music thumping away inside. Quinn could even feel it vibrating through the floorboards beneath her. But it was irrelevant. All of Quinn's focus was on the girl standing just a few feet in front of her, singing her heart out.

Quinn didn't recognise the song. It didn't matter. The way that Rachel sang, the emotion in her eyes expressed so much depth of feeling. Quinn realised that when Rachel had been talking about her talent she had been practically humble. Quinn was completely blown away. With every verse Quinn felt her heart break only to have it pulled back together again by Rachel's heavenly voice. Quinn was startled when she discovered there were tears welling in her eyes. Even drunk, Rachel was able to move Quinn quite literally to tears.

Quinn felt herself drawn away from the stairs and onto the grass. She could no longer stay seated and she felt her body humming. Quinn was desperate to be closer to Rachel and the distance between them was no longer reasonable. Rachel's voice became softer though no less beautiful as she watched Quinn approached her.

Their eyes locked together for the third time that night.

Quinn could feel her heart hammering. Her breath was shallow as if she had been running.

Rachel stopped singing.

Quinn felt an impulse and followed it, raising one hand to push a stray lock of hair away from Rachel's face.

Rachel's eyes fluttered as Quinn's fingers traced from her ear, and down her jaw to the soft skin just below her lips.

Her fingers dropped from the Rachel's chin to rest lightly against her collarbone.

"You are so beautiful." Quinn had meant to say that her singing was beautiful but her words got lost somewhere on the way to her mouth.

She didn't regret the words as she stared into the shorter girl's eyes. Their bodies were incredibly close and Quinn could swear she could actually see the stars reflected in the deep chocolate eyes.

It was Rachel who finally broke their gaze to glance around Quinn's face. She raised one hand to play with a blonde strand which escaped the locks she had been admiring earlier. Rachel's hand drifted down Quinn's cheek, her palm actually resting against Quinn's jaw. Her fingertips shifted slightly against the fine hair by her temple. Rachel's eyes returned to Quinn's and she smiled.

Quinn's eyes flicked down to Rachel's lips.

Brown eyes flamed brightly as Rachel leaned forward pressing her lips gently against Quinn's. They both shut their eyes a moment before contact.

It was a chaste kiss and they pulled back quickly, their bodies remaining just millimeters apart.

Quinn was sure she could hear Rachel's heart beating.

Suddenly Rachel let out what sounded like a growl and their lips smashed together once again. This time their bodies crashed together as well. Quinn wrapped one arm around rachel's back as the other was trapped between their bodies. Rachel kept one hand on Quinn's jaw but pushed the other into Quinn's hair pulling the girl's mouth harder against her own.

Quinn was lost in a blur of feeling. Rachel felt so amazing against her and she didn't want it to stop. She could feel everything at once as her skin seemed to vibrate and a subtle pulse ran through her fingers. They adjusted their bodies slightly and Quinn wrenched her arm out from between them so she could have both hands wrapped around Rachel. Rachel's hand moved out of Quinn's hair to pull at her hips.

Quinn was glad of the shoes that Santana had put Rachel in as they were tall enough to bring them almost to equal height. It was so different kissing someone at the same height. All of Quinn's boyfriends had been taller than her and she had to stand on her tiptoes to kiss them or risk a crick in her neck. But height was an insignificant factor to consider when Quinn could feel Rachel's body against her own.

Rachel was soft. So soft. Her body molded into Quinn's so perfectly. Her lips were warm and gentle. Quinn's brain was short circuiting. They shifted subtly against each other reveling in the sensations each movement caused. Quinn's thoughts became disjointed as her body overruled any higher brain function.

Rachel's hands drifted past her hips to slide around her waist to her back. Warm gentle hands pressed firmly into Quinn's lower back and it felt incredible. Quinn melted into the touch. When those same hands slid up and threaded into the back of the stringy top she was wearing Quinn nearly lost herself. _Holy mother Mary of...something._ She had turned completely incoherent even in her own thoughts. And Rachel's hands were now stroking against the bare skin of her back.

The sensation of soft hands against her skin sent heat radiating throughout her body. She was breathing heavily through her nose, unwilling to disconnect from the girl, even to breathe. Quinn tilted her head slightly to deepen the kiss and attempted to pull her even tighter against her body.

The alcohol still streaming through Quinn's system worked both to numb her to her surroundings and to strengthen the sensations caused by the warm, soft body pressed against her own. She barely noticed when Rachel pushed against her gently. Her extremities must have been working autonomously again because suddenly her shoulders were pressed against the vertical rungs holding up the railing of the balcony. It rattled slightly with the impact but nothing could distract the two girls who were so entirely wrapped up in each other.

If the party was still going on Quinn was unaware of it as the only sounds she could hear were her own heart beat and those small sounds emanating occasionally from Rachel. Quinn wanted to hear more and she pushed against Rachel, turning them both so Rachel's back would fall against the railing. Quinn was rewarded with a grunt from the back of Rachel's throat and her heart leaped. She slid her feet further apart and pressed one leg between Rachel's trying to fuse their bodies. They both gasped.

She couldn't stop herself as her tongue slipped out to run along Rachel's lips. They were intoxicating and she needed to know what they tasted like. Rachel parted her lips allowing her tongue to brush against Quinn's. Quinn's heart nearly stopped but she kept going, pressing her tongue gently back against Rachel's. She brushed her tongue past her teeth but didn't press any further. She felt no urgency. Just an intense feeling of rightness. It was so _right_ for Quinn to be here. It was so _right _for her to be pressed up against this girl the way she was.

They remained locked together, happily brushing lips and tongues. Rachel's hands continued stroking the skin of her back while Quinn's found the bare skin between Rachel's shoulder blades. Quinn's brain registered nothing but the girl she held tightly against her.

* * *

><p>It was Santana's voice that finally broke them apart. Quinn dimly registered the sound of the backdoor creaking open but it was the Latina's voice that had her springing away from Rachel's arms. Apparently Santana had been looking for them for a while because she huffed with annoyance when she finally spotted them.<p>

"What the hell are you two doing out here? We're about to play King's Cup and I expect you both to join in."

She was walking towards them and her body was casting a shadow in the light flooding out from the kitchen. Quinn was very suddenly in a panic. She had been making out with Rachel. She had been making out with a girl. Fuck that she had been making out with a girl she would have to work with come Monday. Quinn glanced over at Rachel to see that her hair was disheveled and her lips looked swollen. She imagined she must be sporting a similar look. As soon as Santana stepped out of the light she would see them both and know exactly what they had been doing.

Quinn tried desperately to flatten her hair combing her fingers through it in an attempt to straighten out any kinks. Rachel straightened out her dress, pulling at the hem which had ridden up. Quinn blushed as she realised that it must have been her thigh that pushed the dress up when she had been trying to get her body closer to Rachel's.

Far too soon Santana stepped out of the light and onto the stairs. She stopped when her eyes adjusted enough to see them. A huge grin erupted on her face as she took in their disheveled appearance and guilty faces.

"Well look at what we have here."

* * *

><p>AN: Please don't hate me for leaving it there. I'll update soon I promise!<p> 


	5. King's Cup

Quinn was trying her best to look anywhere but at the two girls in front of her. Rachel was looking decidedly guilty and seemed to want some kind of explanation to come from Quinn. Santana seemed to be looking for some kind of confirmation from the blonde. Quinn just wanted to go back to kissing Rachel. She wanted to know what the skin of Rachel's neck might taste like. She imagined it would be something like creme caramel.

_Stop that. You've never even _looked_ at another girl like that._ She scolded herself internally with a firm and commanding mental head slap.

She had no answers for either of them. Alcohol continued to thunder through her veins. Her brain was sluggish and she seriously contemplated making a run for it. But then she remembered that she's an adult. In fact they're all adults and didn't have to make this awkward. Surely drunken hook-ups are just par for the course at this point. They'll be going off to college soon after all.

_Even if the feel of Rachel's fingers on my back had me melting into the earth._

Quinn looked up at Santana, deciding to play it cool. "Well we, we came out here to get some air—"

Rachel interrupted her, "And the stars were really pretty so we were um lying in the grass making shapes out of the constellations," _So much for playing it cool_ "and we just lost track of time. We were about to come back inside weren't we Quinn? We were just talking about how we must be missing out on things that were happening inside. After all we came to this party to see our friends and so that Quinn could get to know her new coworkers. After all, it is certainly useful for one to have a close camaraderie with the people in the same employ as oneself. Isn't that right Quinn?"

Huh? Rachel's eyes pleaded desperately for Quinn to play along. She still didn't understand why Rachel was inventing stories about stargazing but with the look that was shining from Rachel's eyes Quinn couldn't help it. Rachel looked seriously...scared. "Um yeah. We were talking about stars and then about coming inside."

Santana didn't look like she believed them for even a second. "So you were talking. About stars. Riiiight. Well if you say so." She gave them a half hearted shrug. "You better come back inside anyway. If you really don't want people to talk." She looked annoyed at that possibility. Like it was personally insulting to her that they might want to keep what obviously just happened a secret.

Santana turned around to move inside. Rachel breathed a sigh of relief but then called for Santana to stop. She moved forward and said quietly, "Please don't tell Finn."

Her voice was small and Quinn barely heard but her words were clear enough and Quinn felt her gut clench uncomfortably. She'd honestly forgotten about the boyfriend. How that was even possible she'd never know. She also didn't know how to account for the feelings swirling in her chest. They were all in a jumble of joy, pain, relief, and so many more feelings than she could name in that moment. She knew she would have to wait for the morning when she's sober to make sense of any of it.

She didn't know whether she should laugh, cry or scream and she was lefting feeling a little...giddy? Maybe it was the fact that Quinn had spent the last who knows how long making out with Rachel and she hadn't been struck down by any higher power. Did Quinn believe that all homosexuals were automatically destined for hell? No. Did she have this deeply imbedded fear that maybe her father had secret satellites and could be silently waiting in shrubberies to come out and condemn her actions?

Maybe.

Quinn swollowed the nervous giggle that threatened to escape her as she followed Santana and Rachel up the porch steps. Santana had stopped with her hand on the back door and was staring at Rachel. She looked like she wanted to argue against Rachel's plea to not tell Finn. She must have thought better of it because her next words were reassuring, "I won't tell Finntasia anything. But you better figure out what you want Short Stack." she shot a pointed look my way. "Before things get complicated. And believe me I know how complicated these things can get." She opened the door to go inside.

Quinn moved till she was standing in front of Rachel. She felt Santana grasp her left hand. "C'mon Mouse. There's a Kings Cup in here with your name on it."

Rachel was staring at her shoes as though they contained the meaning of life. She looked worried. Quinn hated seeing her looking like that so she grabbed Rachel's hand and gave it a squeeze. When Rachel finally looked up Quinn smiled as warmly as she was able. Rachel glanced at her shoes just one more time before smiling right back at her. It was such a relief to see. Like the sun coming out on a rainy day. But Quinn isn't a mushy person or anything so she hunts for the nearest analogy. The relief that Quinn feels in seeing Rachel smile was like the relief a junky must feel when they get thier fix. Oddly enough this analogy did _not_ make Quinn feel any better.

Santana once again dragged on Quinn's hand so the three girls could progress through the door together.

On the other side was bedlam. The party had progressed during their time outside. There seemed to be fewer people but more noise. Brittany had lost her shirt at some point and was left in her royal blue pants and a sky blue bra. Sam, Puck and Mike were standing in a circle punching each others arms at random moments as if trying to get each other to flinch. There seemed to be a rousing game of beer pong going on in the other room and someone shouted "Buffalo" within moments of them entering the room.

Brittany handed both Rachel and Quinn a new cup each with a glowing blue mystery drink inside and Quinn was careful to hold it in her left hand. She didn't know what was inside her cup but she was pretty sure that she didn't want to scull it any time soon.

Santana and Brittany linked arms to walk out into the living room and Quinn followed with Rachel close behind. The boy with the bow tie had just lost a round of beer pong and was sculling his drink which seemed to be the same blue concoction Quinn held in her hand. He visibly fought the urge to vomit before sitting down heavily on one end of the couch. Mercedes and Tina were already sitting on the other end giggling. When they spotted the four girls re-entering the room they both pointed and started laughing hysterically. Quinn had no idea what was so funny.

Gay kid number two appeared from the direction of the bedrooms with a gigantic goblet and placed it in the middle of the table. Quinn could only assume that this must be the Kings Cup. She also needed to think of the boy as something other that 'Gay Kid'.

The group assembled in a circle around the coffee table and Santana laid a deck of cards in a circle around the cup. Quinn found herself in between Santana and Rachel. Quinn was avoiding eye contact with Rachel whilst trying really hard to not look like she was avoiding eye contact. She didn't need people getting ideas. Even though it had just been a drunken hookup and it didn't mean anything. Except that Rachel was her drug of choice. _No wait._ She was going to find a better analogy than that.

Brittany was of course on the other side of Santana in the circle. Mike and then Tina were on the other side. The two gay boys were next and then Mercedes, Sam, Puck and Wheel Chair Kid. An Italian looking girl Quinn hadn't been introduced to yet was sitting on the other side of Rachel. Quinn was glad that Puck was far enough away that she wouldn't have to engage with him.

Santana had a pen and a piece of paper in front of her and she was writing down the 'house rules' for the game. Quinn could see some familiar rules. Six sticks: boys drink. Fours whores: girls drink. Ace: waterfall. There was a Never Have I Ever card, a body shot card and something called Diver Dan. Some of Santana's handwriting was less that legible.

"Okay everyone knows the house rules?" she glanced around the group and saw a few head shakes in the negative. "Well okay then, I'll expand for the newbs present," She gestured to the cards surrounding the cup. "So we have the circle of cards around the cup. You break the circle you consume your beverage. You use someone's given name you consume your beverage. You use the 'D' word that means the same as to consume a beverage then you in turn must consume your beverage. Each card around the cup has an action or a game attached to it and I'll let you know what they are as we go along. Is everyone clear on our rules? Great. Let us begin."

Santana drew the first card which was a two of spades. She elected Quinn to be her 'you' and promptly finished her drink forcing Quinn to do the same. Brittany pulled a jug of her mysterious blue beverage out from under the table to top up Quinn's and Santana's drinks. Quinn could feel that this game was going to be deadly for her.

* * *

><p>The game progressed like you'd expect with lots of laughing and several refills for all participants. That jug of mysterious blue dri—beverage seemed to be bottomless. Brittany had gotten a rule card and demanded that everyone say 'woo' before having a drink. Beverage, <em>dammit.<em> Quinn got Santana back for the earlier 'You' drink by electing her as her 'Mate' so that she would have to drink everything Quinn did. Mike drew a King card and threw half his beer into the goblet.

Mercedes drew the Never Have I Ever card and stared around the group wickedly, "Never have I ever Hooked up with Puck."

Quinn face-palmed mentally and lifted her dri—beverage but was distracted by Rachel, "Wait, define 'hooked-up' because it could be argued that I 'hooked-up' with Noah a few times if we count 'hooked-up' as heated make-out sessions while horizontal," Quinn couldn't help but smile as she watched Rachel hang air quotes around the words 'hooked-up'. But then choked at the revelation that Rachel had made out with Noah Puckerman.

Santana rolled her eyes and groaned, "At the risk of the Hobbit consuming _less_ alcohol and therefor being less tolerable _I_ will put forward the definition of 'Hooking-Up' as actually having sex with." She flashed Quinn a faux innocent look.

Mercedes iterated her game round with the new clarification, "Okay, so to be clear. Never Have I ever had _sex_ with one Noah Puckerman."

Santana and Brittany gave a quick 'Woo' and drank. Rachel pouted. And with the smallest hesitation, Quinn gave her own quiet 'woo' and tipped back her drink emptying the contents of her cup down her throat. Puck froze, as did the rest of the group as they stared at the blonde who handed her now empty cup to Brittany for a refill.

Quinn tried very hard to not look at Rachel _or_ Puck which meant staring very intently at the skinny, porcelain faced boy sitting across the circle from her. _Come to think of it 'Porcelain' is the perfect name for him._ Porcelain fist bumped with Mercedes without even a glance away from Quinn.

The boy's eyes glittered with excitement at the new gossip, "Oh my God Mercedes you are a genius."

Sam cleared his throat, effectively breaking the awkward silence that overran the group. He reached forward to collect his card. Selecting the Italian girl who Quinn now knew was named Sugar as his drinking 'Mate' drawing everyone back into the game. Quinn finally braved a glance at Rachel who looked decidedly put out. Quinn didn't like that Rachel wasn't smiling so she gave her a gentle nudge in the ribs before lacing thier arms together. Rachel smiled and Quinn sighed in relief before turning back to the game.

Each person took their turn without any notable mishap. Quinn found out what Diver Dan was when Wheel Chair Kid selected a card and proceeded to pull an imaginary scuba diver from his drink. The boy shook his imaginary diver above his cup to shake off any excess imaginary moisture, mimed placing the diver on his shoulder, downed his beverage and replaced the imaginary little person back into his cup. Quinn couldn't help but laugh at the genius stupidity of it.

Quinn found herself smiling broadly at Rachel who was grinning back just as widely at Diver Dan. They laughed openly and fell into one another's sides as sugar picked up the thumb card.

Rachel's turn was next and she Spin The Bottle. Puck retrieved an empty bottle from under the coffee table and went to offer it to Rachel.

Santana leaned forward to snatch it out of her grasp, "Nuh uh Barbara. Britts is the spin Queen tonight." she gestured at the page of rules in front of her, "It's in the rules."

She hands the bottle to Brittany and Quinn holds her breath. She thinks she know's Santana's plan and she doesn't like it one bit. The two girls had shared one of those looks with a thousand words and Quinn holds her breath as Brittany gives the bottle a quick tweak to send it spinning.

Quinn has no idea how Brittany could possibly control where it lands. Maybe with yet undefined mental skills. Quinn bends her own will against the bottle, scrunching her eyebrows in concentration and willing the bottle to point towards one of the gay boys or at the very least Mike. But no, there was never anything Quinn could do to get that bottle pointing at anyone other than herself—hold the phone.

Quinn and Rachel jump apart as if they're opposing magnets. The bottle had stopped spinning and was pointing at Puck. Rachel has to kiss Puck? Why the fuck would Santana and Brittany want Rachel to kiss Puck?

Quinn glances at Brittany to make sure that the bottle had indeed landed in the right direction. Brittany bumped fists with Santana in a sure declaration of victory. _What the hell were they thinking? _Did they think that Rachel wouldn't kiss Puck and be forced to scull yet another beverage? It didn't make sense to Quinn who watched as Rachel shot her a furtive glance before getting up onto her knees and leaning over the coffee table.

Puck met her part way and they shared a quick close-mouthed kiss on the lips. Suddenly Quinn new exactly what Santana had been aiming for and Quinn really hated her for it. She felt her heart clench tightly in her chest. Actual fucking tears pricked at her eyes as she watched. There was a small moment that Quinn was aware of only because she seemed to be seeing everything in slow motion as Rachel turned her glance towards her with guilt glowing in her eyes. Puck had dutifully avoided looking at Quinn. He had been avoiding her all night but Rachel couldn't help but look over at Quinn. The look of guilt in Rachel's eyes had torn into Quinn's chest.

She was jealous.

It wasn't because she had any attachment to Puck. Puck might as well have been an anonymous sperm donor for all Quinn cared about him. But Rachel. Quinn had known the girl for less that twenty four hours but here she was absolutely teaming with jealousy. Watching Rachel kiss an attractive, unattached guy in front of her, watching her kiss a guy she had so recently admitted to having 'heated make out sessions' with tore at Quinn's heart.

Rachel sat back down, leaving a respectable(and intolerable) distance between her arm and Quinn's. Quinn tried to control the shake in her hand as she took a card from the circle. It was a four and Quinn happily downed her beverage with the rest of the girls. Alcohol would help her through this night.

The game did another round of the group, including two sloshes into the King's Cup and a new rule which had everyone winking whenever they wanted to address another person. Quinn couldn't help the smile that crept back onto her face every time Rachel winked at her. Quinn was a junkie again, gratefully accepting her hit of Rachel Berry. The glowing smile just lifted Quinn's spirits every time.

Rachel had once again fallen into Quinn's side at the end of her Waterfall card which had seen everyone empty their cups. She winked at her dramatically and motioned for Quinn to take her turn. Quinn grinned at the way Rachel's wink had involved her entire face, happily leaning forward to retrieve a card. It was a truth or dare card. _Great._

"Fine. I choose dare". No way was she making any more confessions tonight.

Santana looked like Christmas had come early as she announced, "And the person to your left decides your dare. There are no refusals and no take backs." Quinn narrowed her eyes ready to accept any dares the devious little Latina could throw at her. "Take a body shot off Berry." _Except that._

Rachel gasped in a completely melodramatic fashion as everyone else cheered. Puck seemed unable to contain himself as he said a _that's hot_ with a smirk. Brittany echoed the sentiment before rushing off to get the tequila. It wasn't until Brittany returned with two shots and two wedges of lemon that everyone remembered that Quinn had a drinking 'Mate' in Santana. Because of the eight of hearts that Quinn had drawn earlier in the game Santana would have to do a body shot off someone too.

All the (straight)boys in the room seemed to shift forward slightly in preparation for the double girl-on-girl body shots. Everyone else shifted forward to witness the new girl get even more physical with the newly 'Santanafied' Rachel Berry.

Thankfully Rachel wouldn't have to remove any layers of clothing since the dress Santana had put Rachel in at the beginning of the night left Rachel's shoulders and neck exposed. Brittany was already topless so Santana wasted no time in licking her girlfriend from clavicle to jaw.

She applied the salt and turned to hand the shaker and a shot to Quinn, "And it has to be _hot_ Blondie."

Quinn took the shaker with a smirk—_challenge accepted—_and turned to Rachel who swept her hair over the shoulder now facing her friends. She had turned towards Quinn, putting her back to Sugar who was now standing to better witness the spectacle. Rachel gave Quinn a small smile which was of course instantly returned by Quinn.

Rachel placed a lemon wedge between her teeth and the room held it's collective breath. She gave Quinn a subtle wink, inviting her to continue.

_Okay._

Quinn leaned forward and licked the small depression above Rachel's collarbone quickly. She pored the salt onto the same spot and put down the shaker. She braced herself against the floor with her right arm so she could lean over Rachel with her shot ready in her left hand. Their faces were inches apart and Quinn once again felt the sparks that had been firing between them all night. Rachel grinned around the lemon in her lips and gave a tiny nod.

Quinn dipped her head and ran her tongue through the salt. She luxuriated for just a moment longer than necessary as she let her lips follow her tongue to press against Rachel's collar bone. Quinn licked the skin thoroughly clean of salt then pressed her lips down for one more kiss. Quinn felt, rather than saw Rachel arch up into her subtly before Quinn was forced upright to down her shot of tequila. Once again Quinn found herself face to face with Rachel who gave a devilish smirk and raised one eyebrow in a challenge. Quinn knew what was going to happen next.

Quinn leaned into Rachel, placing one hand on her hip in what she hoped would look like a move to maintain her balance. Rachel moved to close the gap and with bare millimeters between them she dropped the lemon wedge from her mouth. Their lips crashed together in a searing kiss and Quinn got her taste of lemon from Rachel instead.

They separated after just a few seconds but it was enough to leave the room in silence as everyone gaped at the two girls. Quinn's hand stayed on Rachel's hip as they stared into each other's eyes.

"Seriously, I think they must put something in the water at McKinley." It was Bow Tie Gay who murmured into Porcelain's ear loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Best game ever." Quinn had no idea which of the boys said that but she saw Tina smack Mike on the back of the head as she turned to smirk at Santana.

"And was that hot enough for you S?"

Santana still had her shot in her hand with her mouth hanging open. She quickly nodded before downing the tequila, licking the salt off Brittany's neck, throwing the lemon over her shoulder and meeting Brittany's lips hard. Quinn guessed they weren't so worried about the Lip, Sip, Suck protocol any more.

The game skipped passed Santana and Brittany who were too involved in their make-out session to continue playing and ended on the next draw with Tina pulling the final King from the pile. She looked at Mike with fear in her eyes. The group commenced a chant of 'drink, drink' but before she could reach for the cup Mike gallantly picked it up and drank it himself. The cup contained an unholy mixture of beer, some of that electric blue drink, half pink wine cooler and at least a little bit of pretty much everyone else's drink.

Everyone cheered as Mike managed to put down the goblet empty and without vomiting. Rachel pressed into Quinn's back with her chin resting on Quinn's shoulder. Rachel's voice was melodic in Quinn's ear as she cheered for Mike with everyone else. When it was clear the Mike wasn't going to pass out or puke, Puck went to turn up the music which had been lowered during their game. Puck's iPod must have been exchanged for Santana's again because the music was back to the nondescript dance music.

Brittany disconnected from Santana with the new volume and she pulled herself up, dragging Santana with her. They moved to dance in front of the speakers and were followed by nearly every other person in the room. Rachel grabbed Quinn's hand and they moved into the crowd of dancers. Only Mercedes and Kurt remained settled on the couch to gossip through the loud music.

* * *

><p>Sometime after two am but before dawn—They lost track—Quinn, Rachel, Santana and Brittany decided to walk home. Some of the group had left earlier. Some were staying and already passed out. Sugar and Tina were still drinking and dancing, even though the music had already been turned off to avoid any police calls.<p>

The stars were still shining brightly and Quinn couldn't help but think of the kiss she had shared with Rachel out under the stars. It felt like it had been days ago even though it was only hours. Quinn continued to blame the alcohol for every thrill and shiver she felt when she touched Rachel's bare skin. With the last shot of tequila Santana had forced into her hand before leaving Puck's house Quinn felt free to do whatever she wanted including hold Rachel's hand. On their way back into Santana's neighborhood they passed increasingly massive houses so they knew they were getting close. Quinn couldn't help but marvel at how lush and soft the grass looked. She wondered if she was too old to roll around in the grass. Rachel occasionally grinned at Quinn and Quinn would grin back with a small squeeze to Rachel's hand.

They talked happily, occasionally bursting into song and dancing along the concrete gutters. Quinn had plenty of questions to ask about the people she had just met, partied with and danced around like a fuck-wit with. It had been one of the best nights of her life and she wanted to remember all of it if she could.

Quinn wanted to know everyone's names for one, "So wheelchair kid is Artie," Rachel nodded, "Who dated Brittany?" Santana growled at that though she was attached to Brittany's lips three feet away, "And the gay kid with the bow tie is Blain who is dating Kurt," more nodding. "And everyone at that party was in your Glee Club?"

"Not quite," Rachel clarified. "Everyone who played King's Cup was in Glee club but not everyone who was in Glee Club was there to play King's Cup." Her brow crinkled, "Did that make sense?" Quinn reviewed silently then nodded so Rachel continued, "There is also Rory and Zises and a few others that you may or may not get to meet."

"So what about all the other people who were there before we, er...played King's Cup," Quinn finished lamely, avoiding mentioning their kiss in Puck's backyard.

"They were mostly cheerleaders and football players that Puck invited. Some of the cheerleaders had competed with the Glee Club as well but mostly there was just friends of Puck's from the team and girls Puck was presumably hoping to hook up with."

Quinn had developed a tick for those two words, 'hooked up'. Thankfully Rachel seemed ready to move on without mentioning Quinn's Never Have I Ever revelation.

Unfortunately, Santana wasn't so kind. "So you and Puck bumped uglies hey?"

"I'm sure there was nothing ugly about their bumping San." Brittany seemed ready to distract from that particular conversation. _God bless that girl._ "And it's not like we don't already know that Q is _that_ girl." _Fuck. _She looked at Santana as though it were obvious.

"Huh?"

"Don't you remember in Sophomore year, Puck stopped having sex with you for like a week and you freaked out because you thought he knew that you—"

"Right Britt, I remember. Cause it turned out that Puck had just knocked up some..." Santana held up one hand interrupting Brittany but then turned to Quinn. _Oh no. _"No freaking way. Your Puck's baby momma?"

Quinn hates that term.

Quinn stares at the other two girls, "How could you possibly know that?" Rachel stopped mid stride, dropping Quinn's hand. Quinn figured there was no point denying it and maybe the alcohol could help make this whole thing slightly less traumatic.

Brittany just shrugged, "Easy when you look at what people are saying around their words."

"But how did you know I didn't just sleep with Puck? Did he tell you about the baby?" Quinn was genuinely curious.

Brittany shrugged again, "I just watched you both for a little bit through the night. I'm not like a creeper or anything. It just seemed kind of obvious. You were all: Stay the fuck away from me to Puck. He was all,"She lowered her voice and held her arms awkwardly at her sides to immitate puck. "Don't hate me just because I ruined your life. And then you were all: I don't want to talk about this huge thing between us."

Santana looked at Brittany like she was a prophet speaking the words of god. "Of course. I thought the stretch marks just pointed to a harsh puberty but this all makes sense now," she glanced at me speculatively. "Why would you go through all that? I mean carrying Puck's demon spawn for nine months, only to give it away. You did give it to someone right? There isn't a kid somewhere crying for it's Mom cause you're here with us right."

Quinn frowned at Santana, trying to not let her careless words hurt her.

Brittany was still talking, "Cause you have to listen to what people aren't saying with their mouths. Just like now Santana is saying: Get us home now so we can have sexy times. And Rachel is all: Don't pay attention to me because I'm all kind of confused right now. And Quinn is all: Please don't be all kinds of angry for stuff that happened a long time ago."

Quinn had no idea if Brittany could really see all these things but she really did hope that Rachel wouldn't be upset with her. Rachel stayed silent. Brittany seemed completely at ease with the whole conversation and eventually trailed off in her analyses. The group had come to a stop and she took the opportunity to attempt headstands in a strangers front yard. In her defence, the grass really did look pretty soft.

Santana and Quinn are still waiting on Quinn.

Quinn tries to find the words which could explain everything as quickly as possible, "No I didn't keep it. I didn't mean for any of it to happen. I was drunk. I was feeling trapped, depressed and lonely. Puck hit on me at this party where I had decided I would try the whole getting drunk thing. My boyfriend was being an ass. Ironically we had argued because he was pressuring me to have sex." She glanced at Rachel but couldn't guess at the emotions behind her stoney expression. "Puck was my first."

Brittany's body slammed to the grass as she lost her balance. She had successfully managed a headstand but she was rubbing at her neck when she looked up to stare at Quinn, "You got pregnant on your first go around?" Quinn just nodded. "Damn that really sucks Q."

Rachel's voice was so quiet that Quinn nearly missed it, "What happened to the baby? Adoption?"

Quinn mutely nodded before explaining properly, "Yeah, it was some agency that the hospital connects people with. My Mom actually handled most of the paper work. I just signed on the dotted line."

"So you don't know where he...she went?" Rachel just looked plain sad.

"She. Um we named her Beth and apparently the woman that adopted her kept the name but I don't really know where she is right now. I get a photo on her birthday. Which is nice." Quinn finished lamely.

Rachel hesitated for a moment with tears in her eyes before wrapping her arms around Quinn's waist. Quinn let herself be hugged tightly and rested her arms around Rachel's back and her head against her shoulder. Once again, Quinn is glad of the alcohol in her system that lets her push away the emotional hurt she feels over her daughter and appreciate the physical feeling of the girl in her arms.

Without warning a sudden impact threw them both to the ground with a thud. Quinn felt the wind get knocked out I her. She could hear giggling from Santana a few feet away. There was a flash of blonde hair as Brittany climbed from off of Rachel's back. It seemed Brittany had recovered from her head standing efforts enough to crash tackle Rachel and Quinn to the ground. Rachel was also winded and her breath came in sharp gasps where she lay against Quinn's shoulder.

"Woops, sorry guys," Brittany laughed without sounding particularly sorry at all.

"Jesus Christ Britt. You could have broken something," she quickly checked her phone to make sure it wasn't broken. "Rach are you okay?"

Quinn looked down at the top of Rachel's head which was still resting on her shoulder. She seemed to be breathing steadily again and she rolled over onto her back.

Keeping her head resting against Quinn's shoulder she gazed up at the stars, "Do you think the stars can impact on our lives?" Rachel asks her with a sigh.

Quinn wonders where the hell that came from. She also wonders how quickly she could catch pneumonia with the grass soaking into the ass of her jeans the way it was. "Do you mean like astrology? Like Mars is influencing Uranus?" she giggles lightly and Rachel slaps her hand into Quinn's stomach.

"I'm being serious Quinn. Do you think that maybe the stars are watching us and maybe they have a hand in our fate?"

Rachel's tone was serious so Quinn tried to give it some serious consideration. She was distracted by Rachel's hand resting against her stomach so she reached one hand to intertwine their fingers.

"Quinn?" Rachel asked again.

"I don't know Rach. I guess anything is possible."

With that Rachel rolled off Quinn so she could smile down at her. Quinn smiled back and Rachel leaned down to kiss her gently on the cheek before standing up. She dragged Quinn to a standing position next to her.

Suddenly, Santana was shouting at them from a half a block away, "Hey losers. We're only like two blocks away from home and I seriously need to be in a bed, like now. Hurry yourselves up before I come back there and—"

Rachel interrupted, "Yeah, yeah we know. You'll go all Lima Heights."

Santana just laughs. "And don't you forget it Shortstack."

Santana opened her front door and rushed inside to get to the bathroom leaving the other three girls to walk through and close the door behind them. Quinn could feel the alcohol making her head spin. The feeling of freedom which had had her feeling giddy and holding Rachel's hand earlier now had her feeling distinctly woozy.

They stumbled towards the kitchen and Brittany pulled out four glasses, filling each one from the tap. They all emptied their glasses before Santana came out of a bathroom on the other side of the living area. She grabbed the still full glass from the counter and drank it all before refilling hers and everyone else's.

All four girls looked distinctly woozy, with smudged makeup and tired eyes. Santana forced them all to finish another two glasses of water claiming that she doesn't want anyone puking in her bathroom. She used the same justification when she pulled out a sandwich press and made them all a ham and cheese toastie each. Except Rachel of course who got leftover vegan risotto from the fridge. Santana heated it in the microwave for her and put it in a bowl. Quinn thought that Santana may actually be one of the most caring people she has ever met. Even if she is constantly insulting everyone and pretends to be a self serving bitch all the time.

They stumbled upstairs and back into Santana's room. Quinn ducked into the bathroom to pee and switch back into her Bowie Tshirt. When she got out Brittany and Santana had already collapsed onto the bed with their limbs tangled. They looked kind of adorable, even if they were both down to their underwear including a completely topless Brittany. Rachel had already changed into sleep shorts and a baggy Tshirt when Quinn walked in and she pulled a blanket over the two sleeping girls.

Quinn was contemplating the realities of sleeping on the floor when Rachel smiled at her. Quinn as always, smiled back at her.

Rachel grabbed Quinn's hand, "C'mon we get the guest room."

She led Quinn out of the door and to another one down the hall. She pushed it open to reveal yet another elegantly furnished room. It was lacking the personal touches of a permanent bedroom but it was still very comfortable looking. A bedside lamp provided the only illumination. Rachel let go of Quinn's hand to pull down the covers and climb into the bed. She turned back to Quinn who pulled off her jeans and let herself be dragged down onto the mattress, pulling the blankets over them both.

They lay facing each other for a few moments and Quinn was glad to realise that the room wasn't spinning anymore so she was probably going to wake up relatively okay in the morning. She also registered that she had sobered up enough that she wouldn't be able to blame any more of her actions on alcohol. She was saddened by this fact because she felt a strong impulse in that moment to brush Rachel's bangs out of her eyes and kiss her.

She followed half of that impulse and reached out to shift Rachel's hair. She also scooted her body closer to Rachel's as she did.

Rachel opened her mouth to speak but then obviously thought better of whatever she wanted to say. She scooted a little closer to Quinn. Once again, she looked like she wanted to say something important but she just sighed and reached back to switch off the lamp on the bedside table.

"Goodnight Quinn."

Rachel then did exactly what Quinn had been dying to do for the last five minutes. She kissed Quinn firmly on the lips. It was short and chaste but it was perfect and Quinn happily pressed her forehead against Rachel's, tangling their limbs and promptly falling asleep.

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><p>Thanks guys for all of the alerts and awesome reviews. They're always appreciated so much. More reviews would be awesome too :)<p> 


	6. Reality Is The Best Except When it Sucks

AN: Just a short chapter I'm afraid because I'm dealing with some serious writers block on this story. I know where I want the story to go, I've just been feeling a little insecure in the writing on this one. But I'm powering through it and the next chapter will be much longer and with substantial plot development. I swear.

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><p><em>Maybe if you don't move then she won't wake up and you can stay like this forever.<em>

Quinn can feel a light breath against her face. Her limbs are tangled with another person's. She remembers falling asleep. The kiss that Rachel had pressed against her mouth the night before seems to tingle on her lips still. She opens her eyes and looks directly into Rachel's warm brown ones. She gasps in a breath at the beauty in front of her. There is early morning light streaming in through the window behind her, making Rachel's eyes shine.

Quinn experiences a stirring deep in her gut and she feels that this is exactly how she would want to wake up every morning for the rest of her life. Rachel smiles at her and there is a wicked glint in her eyes.

"Good morning Quinn," she whispers.

Her lips barely seem to move yet Quinn hears the beautiful voice clearly as it caresses past her ear. There seems to be a warm glow radiating from Rachel's features and Quinn reaches out her hand to run her forefinger along Rachel's cheek. Rachel's smile becomes a grin. Quinn is the junky again and she feels her pulse quicken as she smiles back, reveling in the soft curve of lips that is her own personal drug. She's completely entranced by the lips that suddenly seem so close.

The urge to kiss Rachel becomes overpowering and the tingling that remains from the kiss last night grows to a desperate pulse. Quinn leans forward and her eyes flutter shut as she presses her lips against Rachel's. A moan escapes her on contact. She moves the hand which lays between them snaking it under Rachel's waste to pull her closer. Quinn feel's Rachel's hands pull against her cheeks, deepening the kiss.

Rachel's tongue slips across her lower lip and Quinn eagerly reaches out with her own. The sensation of Rachel's tongue against her own is amazing and she draws back so the other girl's tongue will chase into her mouth. Quinn lightly sucks against the tip and a strangled moan escapes Rachel sending a bolt of electricity directly to Quinn's centre. Suddenly Rachel is pushing against Quinn's shoulder with one hand effectively forcing Quinn onto her back. Quinn relents and finds Rachel quickly following the path of her body so that she can feel Rachel pressing her into the mattress.

Rachel's tongue is moving more forcefully into her mouth and she eagerly accepts the intrusion. She sucks on Rachel's tongue again and hears another moan as Rachel's hands scrape down her sides to rest on her hips. Quinn finds her own hands running down Rachel's sides and she slides her hands to knead into the small of Rachel's back. Rachel responds by arching back, effectively pressing their hips and their hot centers together. Quinn's hips buck up at the contact and both girls moan into each other's mouths.

The feeling is so new and so explosive that Quinn can't help but repeat the action again. She presses her strong fingers into Rachel's back and is rewarded by those delicious hips once again canting down. Quinn has found a new addiction. The subtle movement of Rachel's hips is Quinn's new drug of choice and she desperately aches for her next hit. She needs a stronger dose and her hands search for a deeper trigger as they drift across Rachel's body. Rachel's hands move to pull at Quinn's shoulder blades pulling their bodies harder together, and Quinn's hands continue to move across her back.

Quinn's caress combined with the gentle undulation of their bodies has forced Rachel's shirt to drift up her body. Quinn's finger find the narrow strip of skin on Rachel's back between her shirt and shorts. There is a heat radiating from Rachel's skin like from the metal shell of a furnace. The heat burning into Quinn's fingertips is almost unbearable. It is the most glorious thing she has ever felt. She needs more and doesn't hesitate to push Rachel's shirt higher up the girl's body. The silky expanse of skin revealed is like heaven against Quinn's questing palms. Rachel squirms against her and shifts one hand between them. She fists the front of Quinn's T shirt and lifts her body just enough to tug the shirt up, revealing Quinn's taut and twitching abdomen.

When Rachel pulls her hand out from between them and resettles herself against Quinn the flesh of their exposed stomaches presses together. The sensation is completely new and almost overwhelming. Their mouths stop moving and they breathe in each other's air, their noses gently caressing as they absorb what their bodies are screaming at them. As if reacting to some invisible, inaudible signal, their mouths crush back together and their tongues resume their battle of sensations.

Rachel's body is now undulating in a steady rhythm against Quinn's and they are both breathing heavily, their foreheads resting together as they catch their breath. Rachel separates from Quinn and shifts to kiss along her jaw, following it back to Quinn's neck. She kisses against the skin below Quinn's ear. Quinn moans at the sensation. The combination of hot breath, wet tongue and soft lips are enough to completely drive her to distraction.

Her body is almost completely out of her control and she feels the shivers of anticipation rattle down her spine. When Rachel sucks against her pulse point hard enough that Quinn knows she's leaving a mark, her hands shift down of their own accord. Quinn feels the fabric of Rachel's shorts graze her palms. Her fingertips twitch and she can't help but continue down and palm Rachel's ass. Quinn presses down, squeezing the flesh lightly.

The reaction is instant and violent as Rachel's hips thrust down into Quinn's body and one word escapes Rachel's lips, "Quinn," she gasps the word. She gasps Quinn's name like it's the only word she knows. She says it again, this time clearer.

"Quinn," her voice is steady now even as her body continues to shake. "Quinn, I think you're having a nightmare."

Quinn could feel a soft hand shaking her shoulder tentatively. She was lying on her side with her legs entwined with another person's. She opened her eyes and saw warm brown ones in front of her. Rachel looked at her with tired eyes. They were sharing a pillow and Quinn could feel a lock of Rachel's hair tickling her nose. The brunette had said her name several times in an attempt to wake her up. Quinn had been dreaming. She tried not to groan aloud as disappointment rose up in her chest. Her heart was still thumping and she could feel a distinct heat low in her abdomen and at the apex of her thighs.

Quinn had never experienced anything like it and she doesn't think she has the vocabulary to even begin to explain it to herself. Her cheeks flood with colour as the words wet dream enter her head. She suddenly felt intensely glad of the darkness in the room when she looked into Rachel's eyes to smile and show that she was awake and okay.

Rachel smiled back sleepily, "Seems like you were dreaming pretty intensely. What was it about?"

Quinn just shook her head, "I don't really remember," she lied smoothly. "I didn't say anything did I? Like, talk in my sleep?"

Rachel shook her head against the pillow. Quinn felt immense relief at that, closing her eyes briefly. When she opened her eyes again, Rachel's were fluttering shut and she was clearly fighting to stay awake. Quinn felt her heart warm for the other girl and tentatively leaned forward to press a chaste kiss to her lips, mirroring the kiss Rachel had given her some hours earlier. Rachel's eyelids fluttered but didn't open as she gave Quinn one more small smile before settling back into a peaceful sleep.

"Goodnight Rachel. Thank you for caring."

Quinn was deeply glad that her dream had been interrupted. If she had been squirming in her sleep then who knows what she might have said out loud had the dream progressed any further. Quinn's body was still burning and a low pulse still thrummed through her veins on every beat of her pulse. Whatever she may have thought about her sexuality in the past, the night's events had her body telling a wholly new story. Despite her tingling body Quinn could feel her eyes drifting shut again of their own accord. She let herself sink into oblivion, glad to ignore the confusion of the night for a little longer.

Quinn woke early, lightly dozing for a time after she heard the morning birds singing and saw the first light of dawn creep into the room. Quinn and Rachel had remained tangled up throughout the night, only creeping closer to one another. Quinn found herself staring into the other girls peaceful face.

When Quinn had left her house to go the party last night she would never have thought that this is where she would end up. All the thoughts and feelings that had poured through her when she was dancing with Rachel and when she was kissing her were tumbling through her mind, clear and vibrant despite the alcohol she had consumed. She wondered if she would still have gone to the party if she had known how it would turn out. A loud and resounding 'yes' thrummed from her heart. Even in hindsight she couldn't bring herself to even imagine a scenario where she had remained at home. The dream she had experienced through the early hours of the morning only strengthened her conviction.

Rachel let out a small sigh and Quinn felt her fingers tingle as she fought the urge to stroke them along the other girl's cheek. Quinn had to focus on thinking clearly and objectively as soon as possible. She didn't know what was going to happen when Rachel finally woke up.

What if she freaks out now that she's sober? What if she's forgotten everything that happened?

She had seemed fine with their sleeping arrangements when Quinn had woken her with her tossing and turning.

But with the sun getting higher outside, Quinn couldn't help the small flutter of panic rising in her chest. She was so confused about everything that happened. She wanted to blame the alcohol. She wanted to blame the alcohol so much. But she couldn't. With the girl lying opposite her, sharing her pillow there was no way that she could ignore the warmth spreading through her chest. She needed to know this girl, she needed to kiss this girl.

It was completely unbelievable that they had only met yesterday. The truth was though, that she knew almost nothing about her. And Rachel knew even less about Quinn. She wodered if they had met sooner, would they have been friends. Quinn already knew the answer though: No. She had come to that conclusion when they had spent their lunch break together. Quinn would have tortured this girl if she had attended Carmel. Especially if Quinn had attended McKinley where cheerleaders were known to be top dogs and Glee club was the lowest of the low. Quinn shuddered to think how much damage she could have done to the girl's psyche.

No, Quinn is glad that she hadn't known Rachel when she was in Head bitch mode.

Quinn spent the next ten minutes staring into Rachel's forehead trying to read her mind. Maybe if she concentrated hard enough Quinn would be able to see directly into Rachel's dreams. Quinn feels as though she could handle all if these new and...interesting feelings if she only knew how Rachel felt about it all.

Another option if Quinn were going to develop sudden mental powers was of course implanting herself into Rachel's subconscious. If Rachel couldn't stop thinking about her then maybe she'd ask Quinn out. Then Quinn could decide if it's something she wants.

Quinn focused on picturing Rachel's mind. Her eyebrows scrunched together as she pictured a world of music and rainbows and plaid. Santana had said Rachel like plaid. She knows it's selfish and stupid to try and get Rachel to make the first move but Quinn has never been in the habit of selfless bravery. She's not even sure if it's something she's capable of. She stared and stared at Rachel, trying to project herself into the other girl's brain. Ultimately, it's just a lame excuse to stare at Rachel.

"Quinn," Rachel mumbles in her sleep.

_Holy shit._

Apparently Quinn's powers of persuasion have reached supernatural levels after all.

Rachel mumbles some more, "Quinn the spare fish is on the monkey's side."

_Say what?_

Apparently Quinn is featured in Rachel's dreams but not in the sexy way. More in a way where she stars alongside fish and monkeys. That's just great.

Quinn had enough of the mumbling and pushed against Rachel's shoulder. She remembered that Rachel pushed the same spot earlier when waking Quinn from her decidedly less than wholesome dream. The shoulder is safe, the shoulder is friendly. Quinn could get decidedly turned on by the safe and friendly shoulder under her hand. _No she couldn't because that's rediculous._ She kind of did but she pulled her hand away before it could get purvey.

Rachel murmured some more incoherent and adorable nonsense.

Quinn had had enough and started saying her name, "Rachel, you're dreaming," _and not about me._

Finally Rachel's eyelids fluttered open and her eyes instantly locked with Quinn's.

"Hi," Rachel smiled and Quinn became a puddle of goop.

"Morning," she said hoping to not give away the fact that she had spent the last ten minutes trying to get into her head. Thankfully Rachel didn't show any signs of knowing about the impending mental intrusion.

Quinn became stuck on what to say next and she just kept grinning stupidly at Rachel who seemed unable to formulate a response either. Quinn wracked her brain to find a topic of conversation that didn't start with _hey so I had a really erotic dream about you last night, do you want to make out?_

Really, the possibilities were endless. They'd only known each other for a day after all.

Finally Rachel broke the smiley silence, "So, do you like...stuff?"

Quinn stared at her completely non plussed. _Was that a quote from something?_

Rachel then burst out laughing. A low giggle at first which then built to a whole body, stomach clenching laugh. Quinn stared at her like she had lost her mind. Rachel just kept laughing. Finally Quinn couldn't help it any longer and she joined in the laughing too, even though she had no idea what was so funny. Rachel's laughter, just like her smile was so damn infectious.

They giggled at each other, tears glistening in their eyes before they could stop. Finally, Rachel seemed to start to gather some kind of composure and wiped a single tear that had slipped down her cheek and into her pillow. The pillow she still shared with Quinn. Quinn blinked at her new friend. They were lying so close and once they had stopped convulsing with laughter it could be so easy to just lean forward and kiss her. Just like had happened twice in real life and just like had happened in Quinn's dream.

Quinn stared at her intently and Rachel stared back, giving nothing away. Finally Quinn broke. She wanted to roll away, to get off the bed and walk out of the room. Away from those beautiful brown eyes. She wanted it more than anything else. But that isn't what she did. One moment she was staring at Rachel preparing herself to get out of the bed and the next thing she new, she was pressed against Rachel with her lips against her mouth.

The moment was awkward. Quinn had miscalculated the angle and had fallen slightly so that her mouth was only half pressed against Rachel's mouth. A little further on the cheek Quinn probably could have played it off as a kiss to the cheek but no. She had fallen at the most awkward position possible and the way that she had lunged and Rachel left no excuses for her obvious attempt at a kiss.

Quinn panicked of course and scrunched her eyes closed tightly even before she could pull away from malling Rachel's face. She was mortified and ready to apologise profusely when she felt a gentle hand fisting the collar of her shirt. Rachel had seemingly recovered from the shock of Quinn's intensely awkward lunge and had corrected their poistion. Instead of finding herself on the other side of the room with her head between her knees, Quinn suddenly found herself the recipient of another scorching Rachel Berry kiss.

Quinn almost moaned out loud but she managed to reign it in as she wriggled closer to Rachel and threaded her fingers into her hair. Rachel's hair was tangled in the way you would expect after sleep following a night of dancing. Quinn's fingers halted against snags and Rachel let out a tiny squeak of pain but didn't stop kissing Quinn.

Quinn suddenly registered that they probably both have some amazing morning breath but she doesn't give two hoots about Rachel's and she hopes that Rachel doesn't care about hers. Quinn longed to be closer still so she pulled the hand that was underneath her body forward, accidentally punching Rachel in the stomach. Quinn separated her lips from Rachel's to apologise but was pulled back in almost instantly. Quinn pushed her hand under Rachel's shirt to feel the other girl's stomach like she did in her dream.

She wanted to spread her hand against the other girl's back as well but it seemed oddly impractical at the angle they were lying. She wanted to push her tongue into Rachel's mouth but she had to wonder if it could be a bad idea. Quinn couldn't work out why she was thinking so much. Everything had seemed so easy in the haze of alcohol the night before and of course everything had been utterly amazing in her dream. Quinn realised though that neither kiss compared to the one she was engaged in at that moment. Even though it was slightly physically awkward, even though she had completely fucked up the start of the kiss, even though she was worrying about stupid things like morning breath, _this_ was perfect.

The kiss she was sharing with Rachel that morning was so much better than any of those from the night before because that morning was so much more _real_. There was no alcohol numbing her senses. There were no excuses revolving around either if their sobriety. It wasn't a dream. It was amazing, imperfect, blissful reality. Rachel's lips were against hers, her hands were pressed against her shoulder and threaded through her hair. Their bodies were pressed together and Quinn could feel the tiny, fine hairs that were scattered across the soft skin of Rachel's stomach.

Rachel was the first to press her tongue against Quinn's lips. Quinn readily accepted her tongue into her mouth and actually groaned a little at the feeling. The sound wasn't nearly as sexy as she would have liked but Rachel didn't seem to mind since she had managed to work out the right angle to press her hands into the skin of Quinn's lower back.

Quinn let out another vaguely embarrassing moan as she felt Rachel's hand splay against her back and sneak up to a space between her shoulder blades. Quinn was seriously considering the logistics of getting Rachel on her back when a sudden knock at the door sent both girls flying in opposite directions. Rachel let out a tiny squeak as she pulled a blanket unnecessarily up to her chin and Quinn actually let out a squark of alarm as she flung herself so far backwards, she fell off the bed altogether.

From her spot on the floor Quinn watched as a dark head of hair snuck through the door frame.

Santana had a hand covering her eyes as she addresses the room blindly, "Morning guys, I don't want to interrupt anything but we're having breakfast downstairs in a few.

She sneaked a peak through her fingers and saw the two girls who were still several feet away from each other. Santana pulled her hand away to properly survey the room. Quinn was still on the floor and she glanced at Rachel who still had the blankets pulled up to her chin. Neither of them said anything. Quinn was about to stand up but was distracted by an explosive laugh from the doorway. Santana had thrown the door back so that Quinn could see Brittany peering past her and into the room.

Both girls had obviously expected to walk in on _something_ but what they saw had hit a funny bone and both girls were clinging to each other laughing hysterically. Quinn felt her cheeks flush and she tried not to look like she was guilty of anything more than falling off the bed. She wondered if maybe she had overreacted but seeing Rachel still clinging to the blankets like they were protecting her from a firing squad, Quinn wondered if maybe she should have made a dive for the closet or something.

Santana didn't stop laughing but eventually closed the door. Quinn heard Santana and Brittany both laughing all the way to the other end of the hallway where they presumably went down the stairs, heading for the kitchen.

When Quinn looked up at Rachel she had finally let the blankets drop. Quinn was momentarily relieved until she saw Rachel's expression. She looked like someone had stolen her puppy, stuffed it and left it on her doorstep for her to find. Quinn leapt up off the floor and to Rachel's side in an instant. She wanted to wrap her arms around the other girl again but didn't want to risk making the forlorn expression worse. She just stared at the girl, hoping that those mental powers would finally kick in and let her read Rachel's mind.

Finally Rachel looked up at Quinn. She wasn't crying but she looked like it had really been touch and go. "Don't tell Finn," she finally says.

It was almost an exact repeat of the night before and Quinn felt her heart clench in her chest. Just like the kiss had been a hundred times better in the morning, so this rejection hurt a hundred times worse. Quinn didn't know what to say. Once again she had completely forgotten about the boyfriend. Once again she had let her body take over her senses. And she had to pay for it with a heartache that she couldn't place or explain. It shouldn't hurt because she isn't gay. She shouldn't feel like her heart was being broken because she had only known Rachel for a single day.

Rachel left the bed before Quinn could think of anything to say or do. Quinn had no way of consolidating what she knew and what she felt. Just like when she had found out she was pregnant. Everything she knew, or thought she knew was being contradicted by what she was feeling and it sucked.

Quinn sat still on the bed as Rachel left the room. She barely even heard the, "I'm sorry," that Rachel whispered as she left.

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><p>Reviews are amazing and keep me motivated. Just saying ;)<p> 


	7. Ouchie

**AN:** Thanks for the reviews! The first bit is a kindov recap.

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><p>Rachel left the bed before Quinn could think of anything to say or do. Quinn had no way of consolidating what she knew and what she felt. Just like when she had found out she was pregnant. Everything she knew, or thought she knew was being contradicted by what she was feeling and it sucked.<p>

Quinn sat still on the bed as Rachel left the room. She barely even heard the, "I'm sorry," that Rachel whispered as she left.

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><p><em>Get it together Fabray. You are not in love with Rachel.<em>

Quinn kept repeating the statement like a mantra and the words became something of a shield to her. When Rachel had avoided eye contact for most of Sunday morning she repeated the words over and again. When, later in the afternoon Rachel had somehow forgotten her awkwardness and begun to snuggle up with Quinn on the couch she had continued to repeat the phrase.

Eventually though, the words started to lose their meaning. _Keep it together_ came to mean _smile like an idiot_. And _you are not in love with Rachel_ began to sound an awful lot like _I really really like Rachel_. The other four letter L word was too hard to think about. Quinn felt like some preteen with a crush and it was mortifying. Santana and Brittany kept throwing her and Rachel these knowing glances. Santana had managed to maintain a little subtlety but Brittany was hopeless. She spent most of Sunday smiling at them and making oblique references to their future offspring.

After a marathon of sweet valley high—which neither Quinn nor Rachel had seen—Santana had allowed Quinn and Rachel to leave.

"Right, get out Smurfette, Tinkerbelle. Britts and I only have a few hours left to get our cuddle on before my parents get home." Santana slung her arm around Brittany as she glared at Quinn and Rachel as though they had determined her parents' arrival time.

Rachel looked puzzled, "I thought your parents were aware of your relationship with Brittany."

"Oh they're aware. Doesn't mean they want to walk in on us getting our mack on in the living room. I mean do you let your Dads witness your daily smothering by Finnept?" she gave a shudder and frowned as though assaulted by unwanted imagery.

Quinn kept her mouth firmly shut as Rachel replied in the negative, "No I don't. And I see your point Santana."

She turned and opened the front door, lifting her bag higher on her shoulder. Before either could get through the door, Brittany yelped out as though only just realizing that they were leaving.

"Wait!" she exclaimed and threw her arms around both startled girls. "I'm so glad we're all friends now. When our kids get married we can throw the biggest, coolest wedding party-paloozer the world has ever seen."

Brittany had been making outrageous claims to that same effect all afternoon so Quinn and Rachel just squeezed the tall girl back, not bothering to refute her vision of their future. Santana was no help at all as she just gazed lovingly at her girlfriend. Quinn wanted to know how Brittany thought they were going to get past the whole Finn thing. If Brittany was so sure that Quinn and Rachel were meant to be together then surely she should have an idea as to how Rachel would get from being in a relationship to single to being Quinn's girlfriend. Quinn blinked and balked internally at the word girlfriend as Brittany finally let them leave. Quinn let Rachel walk ahead of her. They heard giggling as the door closed behind them and then a high squeal from Brittany followed by the sounds of thunderous running.

Rachel shook her head and looked at Quinn with a wry smile. "I think I love those girls,"

Quinn returned her smile, "I think I might too," she said with humor in her voice.

They turned together and walked down the porch steps toward their cars. Quinn couldn't help but smile at the absurdly oversized truck that Rachel drove. She never did get an explanation on that one but it really didn't seem like an appropriate time to ask right then. What if the truck belonged Finn? Quinn kept sharing awkward side glances with Rachel who kept opening her mouth as if to speak and then closing it again with a small head shake. Quinn searched desperately for something to say butcould find nothing as she resignedly approached the driver's side door of her car. She glanced toward Rachel who had already opened her own car door and tossed her bag inside.

"Well I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Rachel said with a small smile.

Quinn couldn't help but grin in response to her words. Even if she couldn't find the right thing to say to Rachel right then, she still had tomorrow, plus the next couple of months to find a way closer to her. "Yeah, tomorrow," she said with a sigh and ducked her head into the car to throw her bag to the passenger side.

"Quinn?" Rachel's voice was quiet but Quinn responded instantly.

"Yeah?—ow!" Her head and shoulders snapped back out of the car too quickly and she clipped the top of her head on the edge of the metal frame. She yelped in pain as a dull thud announced the contact of her skull with her car. The impact was loud in her head and made her ears ring. She closed her eyes automatically and snapped her hands up to cover the back of her head. Her left hand made contact with the same edge of her car, another thwacking noise accompanying her yelp. Suddenly the pain in her head was joined by a pain in her hand.

Quinn is not exactly known for being clumsy. She could never have been captain of the cheer leading squad if she were. Yet there she was falling to her ass as darkness fluttered around the edge of her vision.

Everything moved in slow motion and she became hyper aware of her body even as she was losing control of it. Her knees trembled and then seemed to buckle as she failed to catch herself. Her hands were cradled one in the other so there was little she could do to brace herself. She felt her back tense as she prepared for the impact of her backside hitting the road, potentially bruising her coccyx. The impact didn't come though as she felt strong arms and a warm body wrap around her. Rachel. The glorious and angelic Rachel had come to her rescue, catching her before she could fall and gently lowering her into the car.

"Oh my god, Quinn are you okay? That sounded horrible. Your head hitting the car, I mean. I shouldn't have called out like that. It was silly of me and now you're going to have a concussion and you won't be able to sleep for 24 hours and—and, do you even have someone at home who can watch you for all that time? Oh my God, Quinn I'm so sorry this is all my fault, I'll stay with you all night and make sure that you don't accidentally fall asleep and succumb to the concussion which has undoubtedly scrambled your brain."

Quinn half chuckled at Rachel's rambling as she lifted her untangled hands to feel the back of her head. Once she was sitting down her vision had cleared and she could think a little clearer. One thing stood out in her mind though, "You'll stay with me all night?" she asked blearily, wincing as her fingers found the bump on her head.

"Oh God, I _have_ scrambled your brain. Quinn I am so sorry, I'll take you to the hospital right now," Rachel was starting to sound panicked and when Quinn's hand came out of her hair with blood on her fingertips Rachel went distinctly green.

Quinn looked at her with concern, "Hey, Rachel are you okay?" she wasn't sure what to say and her head was starting to throb quite badly.

Rachel still looked green but her cheeks somehow went simultaneously red. The combination was quite striking and Quinn had to fight the urge to laugh.

Rachel's face once again transformed as all colour disappeared from her face, "Quinn, slide over and give me your keys, I'm taking you to the hospital."

Quinn tried to shake her head as she clasped her keys tightly in her fist, "No, you aren't driving Daisy!" she exclaimed a little louder than necessary.

_What if Rachel tries to drive her like a big truck and revs the engine to death and breaks her?_

Rachel sighed exasperatedly as she made a grab for the keys in Quinn's hand, "Quinn I can't lift you into my truck and I won't interrupt Santana and Brittany for anything less than the apocalypse. I'm going to have to drive—wait you named your car Daisy?" she smiled at that but then seemingly remembered the situation, making another lunge for the keys. Quinn leaned back over the centre console in an attempt to hold her keys further away. Rachel lunged again, effectively lying her body along the length of Quinn's. Quinn was momentarily distracted by her proximity, especially by the nearness of Rachel's lips to her own. Rachel's eyes flickered down from Quinn's outstretched hands to her face. Quinn tightened the fist holding her keys making the metal clink bluntly.

Rachel's eyes hardened with determination, "Give me the keys so I can drive you to the hospital Quinn. Don't make me do something drastic."

"Something like wha—" Quinn tried to retort but was silenced suddenly by Rachel's lips crashing against her own. It was the fifth—or was it sixth—time she had felt Rachel's lips against her own but it still took her breath away. She could feel every inch of her body that was making contact with Rachel's and she longed for even more contact. As she pulled her arms back towards Rachel's body she forgot the precious urgency of holding onto her keys. Rachel gave a quick tug on the ring and Quinn felt the small metal pieces slip easily from her grip.

Rachel pulled away with a triumphant, "Huh!" and pushed herself away from Quinn's body. "I'm only looking out for your well being Quinn. Now shift over so we can get to the hospital already," she said with a stern glare that said Quinn had better do as she was told.

Quinn absently wondered what her punishment would be. Rachel's method of distraction had certainly been enjoyable. Maybe if she got in Rachel's way again, Rachel would have to kiss her again. The idea was absurd but Quinn couldn't help the warmth that spread through her at just the thought of it. She pushed herself backwards grimacing at the pain in the back of her head. She tried to keep her rapidly bruising hand away from anything solid but managed to slap it into the passenger side door. She yelped in pain again.

_Fucking hell. _

Rachel looked over at her with concern, "Quinn I am so sorry."

Quinn tried to reassure Rachel that she would be fine and that it was her own fault for not being more careful but then Rachel turned over the ignition and pressed down the pedal for the gas. Hard. Quinn winced for a whole new reason as Rachel dropped the handbrake and promptly stalled poor daisy.

They got to Lima general hospital without major incident and Rachel seemed suitably pleased that she managed to avoid stalling daisy again once they got away from the curb.

Rachel insisted that Quinn lean against her with an arm across her shoulders on their way into the hospital. Quinn was hyper aware of the way Rachel's arm wrapped around her waist. She did suspect that Rachel arranged them for the most dramatic entrance into the emergency room possible. She also supposed that she should be annoyed at Rachel for her over dramatization. The fact that Quinn actually found Rachel's penchant for the dramatic a little adorable was rather telling.

Once inside, Rachel forced Quinn into one of the hard plastic chairs before approaching the admissions desk. There was a very tired looking nurse on the other side of the window and when Quinn glanced around the room she could tell that her little bump on the head was probably not going to be a high priority. There was actually a guy sitting across from her that appeared to have nailed a plank of wood to his hand. It looked terrible and the bandage wrapping both the man's hand and the plank was covered in blood.

Quinn gingerly lifted her hand to check the wound to the back of her head. It seemed possible that it had already stopped bleeding.

_Oh shit._

Quinn felt herself get light headed at the amount of blood on her hand. It would seem that her head was still bleeding profusely. she leaned back heavily in her chair and felt the dampness between the skin of her back and the shirt she was wearing. Quinn's stomach turned slightly at the realization that the stickiness must be blood coming from her head. She hoped that she didn't get too much on her car seats. She tried to think of any home-remedy for getting blood out of upholstery but couldn't think of anything.

The room was spinning a little and she leaned forward with her head between her knees. She heard Rachel's voice getting louder. It would seem that the nurse was getting a gob full of Rachel's 'diva 'tude'. Quinn hoped that she wouldn't get herself kicked out of the hospital. After all, if Quinn was going to bleed to death then she may as well do so while holding Rachel's hand. Maybe Rachel could serenade Quinn with some classic death bed song. Broadway was full of deathbed songs right? She remembered the way that Rachel's voice had filled her heart at the party the night before. The way that Rachel's eyes had reflected the stars and her voice had projected so much emotion. She felt something like that shiver run up her spine. Although that could be related to the blood loss.

Quinn could hear Rachel's voice rising again and the words became clear, "Well then find out who can before I bring my fathers down here with the full force of the ACLU," her voice lowered slightly. "And hand me some of that wadding now. Please."

Quinn glanced toward the desk as Rachel turned away from the frightened looking nurse who was busily dialing someone on the phone. Quinn hoped again that it wasn't security. When Rachel spotted Quinn with her head down she rushed forward.

There were tears in her eyes and her hands fluttered around Quinn's body, seemingly looking for somewhere to rest. Quinn figured she must look pretty bad for Rachel to be looking at her like that. When a drop of blood ran down her cheek to fall to the floor she knew she was in trouble. The small droplet hitting the floor seemed to stir Rachel again and she quickly sat Quinn back up, pressing a wad of white cloth against the back of her head.

Rachel held her other hand against Quinn's forehead. She was sitting in the chair next to Quinn and her skirt rode high up her thigh. Quinn didn't bother scalding herself for the lascivious thoughts regarding Rachel's legs since she was in the midst of a head wound incident. She wondered what would happen if she placed her hand against Rachel's leg. If Quinn just rested her hand against Rachel's tan skin would there be consequences? Would Rachel hate her for being so persistent?

Rachel sniffled and Quinn quickly looked away from Rachel's legs guiltily.

"Quinn I'm so sorry. We were having such a nice afternoon and now you're bleeding so much and the nurse won't say how long it will take for you to see a doctor and now you are going to bleed to death and it is all my fault."

Quinn tried to shake her head before realizing that it was a supremely bad idea. Rachel's hands held her in place, mostly but the movement she tried to make sent a jolt of pain through her head. She winced and she could see Rachel's lip quiver again.

Quinn took a deep breath, "Look Rach, this was an accident. Stop blaming yourself. I am completely to blame for this." she put careful emphasis on accident and turned her gaze enough to watch rachel's face. "please don't cry," she said. "you're too pretty to cry so much."

Did she just say that our loud?

Rachel bit her lip and Quinn knew that yes she had said that out loud.

"Fabray?" a young doctor said her name from just inside a set of doors Quinn had previously failed to notice.

Rachel instantly snapped to attention taking special care not to jolt Quinn's head as she stood up.

"Over here," she said loudly. "Quinn Fabray over her." she looked down at Quinn who still felt a little dizzy. "Do you think you can walk or should we get a gurney or a wheel chair or something?"

_Oh hell no._

Quinn had been forced into a wheel chair when she had been on labor with Beth and she was not going to face that again.

She moved slowly to her feet, placing her hand over Rachel's at the back of her head. The doctor moved towards them brandishing a tiny flashlight. He lined up the beam and flashed it into Quinn's eyes abruptly. She wondered if this guy thought he was staring in Grey's Anatomy since he seemed to want to make every action as dramatic as possible.

Rachel did her best to elbow him out of the way as she guided Quinn through the double doors and into the main part of the hospital. They walked awkwardly towards an area marked off by thin curtains. Quinn wondered how Rachel knew where they were going.

Young Doctor(who's name she was yet to hear) followed them through to the consultation area where Rachel helped Quinn into a bed, never releasing the pressure from the bandages she held to the back of her skull. Quinn tried not to wince as she repositioned herself and they waited for Young Doctor to collect his things.

Quinn looked up as Young Doctor brought a tray of unidentifiable medical tools to the beside. "Please don't shave my head," she pleaded desperately. She could handle almost anything except a bald patch.

Young Doctor smiled at her before pulling her to lean forward and moving Rachel's hands and the bandages away from what she imagine as a gaping hole in the back of her head. She felt another rush of queasiness as the pain flooded her skull at the change of pressure. She fought the nausea and the fluttering blackness of a faint. A warm hand on hers made her concentrate long enough to look sideways. Rachel had grabbed her hand and was squeezing tightly as the doctor examined the injury.

Quinn couldn't help but smile at the look of morbid curiosity in Rachel's eyes.

"Are you going to be a doctor instead of a broadway star Rachel?" she asked curiously.

Rachel shook her head with a smile and a squeeze of Quinn's hand, "No I don't think so," she said simply.

Rachel raised their joined hands to press Quinn's fingertips against her cheek, closely watching the doctor's ministrations.

If Young Doctor applied any anesthetic Quinn was unaware of it. It seemed that having Rachel's skin in such close contact with her own was enough to distract her from whatever was going on with her head. When the doctor rolled his chair away from the bed and peeled away rubber gloves from his hands Quinn was forced to ask what had happened with her head.

Young doctor looked from Quinn to Rachel to their joined hands and smiled. "I've stitched up the cut to the back of your head. You have a minor concussion so you'll need to stay awake for the next 18 hours or alternatively have someone wake you up regularly."

He looked at Rachel who nodded eagerly as he continued, "Okay, well you'll need to go through the paperwork with the nurse, Quinn. You're over 18, right?" Quinn nodded, "then you can sign yourself out so long as you have your ID with you. I've put you through the free clinic so this won't cost you anything but I'm going to need you to sign everything that the nurse brings in okay?" he looks stern until both Rachel and Quinn nod sincerely at him. "Okay," he says finally and steps away from the bed. " have a good night girls. Stay out of trouble, have some Advil and come back in if your head is still hurting day after tomorrow."

Young doctor finally left them alone. Quinn turned to Rachel who was once again looked teary eyed, "I'm so sorry Quinn," she said for what felt like the hundredth time.

Quinn shook her head and was glad to feel something of a localized numbness around the back of her head. "You didn't cause this Rachel. Plus I feel fine and I will be fine to go home." she watched Rachel worry her bottom lip between her teeth, "alone." she concluded hoping that Rachel would feel let off the hook.

Quinn really wanted Rachel to go home with her so that they could spend more time together. At the same time though, she doesn't want Rachel feeling obliged to stay with her.

Rachel's eyes flickered from Quinn's eyes to her hairline as she seemingly calculated Quinn's chances of surviving the night, "Do you have anyone at home?" she asked.

Quinn sighed a little melodramatically, "Well my mom will get home in the morning," she said cringing at how strange that sounded.

Quinn had gotten used to The fact that her mum would sometimes have real estate conferences out of town but she worried about how Rachel would take the revelation.

"So you will be alone tonight?" Rachel clarified.

Quinn just nodded her reply.

"Well then I can't in good conscience leave you alone in your currently precarious physical state." she said with a determined nod.

Quinn mimicked her nod, suddenly feeling no need to dispute the girl. She was going to be alone with Rachel. In her house. All night.

* * *

><p>Sorry about the shortness of the chapter. The next is ninety percent written and just needs to be polished and edited.<p>

Reviews are love :)


	8. Oooh Forceful Rachel

_One step at a time, Fabray. Don't puke._

Rachel helped Quinn out of the passenger side of her car and insisted that Quinn should lean against her. She leant onto Rachel just enough to wrap her arm across the shorter girls shoulders. She winced as they walked forward and she did her best not to lean on Rachel too heavily. Quinn had this image in her head of herself towering over Rachel's small body as the girls struggles to hold her massive form up.

Rachel tugs at Quinn's hand where it rests awkwardly against her shoulder, "You _can_ lean on me Quinn. I won't break and I have excellent upper body strength thanks to my years of dance."

Quinn continues to worry and take small shuffled steps towards her front door, "I'm fine, Rachel—"

Rachel cuts her off and tightens the grip on Quinn's waist, "No you aren't and you aren't even leaning on me. You weigh about as much as a small domestic animal, I could probably carry you over the threshold Bridal style," she pauses before adding, "And I will if you don't do as your told."

Quinn couldn't help but laugh, "Ooh forceful Rachel," but she did as she was told when pain and nausea flooded her senses, and leant more fully against Rachel.

Quinn had let Rachel drive them back to her home in Daisy. They had gotten to the hospital relatively unscathed, and Quinn figured they could get back to her house similarly. There was little she could do either way. With Judy away there really wasn't anyone other than Rachel who could keep her awake and alive through her night of concussion. Besides, if Quinn wasn't going to get her death bed serenade then she needed at least a few hours alone with Rachel to figure out her feelings.

Quinn tried to slip out of Rachel's grasp as they moved toward's the front door. She felt oddly uncomfortable about entering her childhood home with Rachel's arms wrapped around her. She knew she was being ridiculous but there was little she could do about her feelings. Rachel's firm grip around her waist and upper arm was vice-like though so Quinn had no choice but to let herself be guided to the front door. Rachel still held the keys but she handed them to Quinn since she didn't know which one would open the front door.

Quinn guided them the rest of the way inside and to the living room where she flopped down onto the couch. She was suddenly exhausted and she closed her eyes, careful to avoid resting her head against the back of the chair. Her eyes snapped open when she felt two warm hands on her knees.

Rachel was kneeling in front of her, a look of concern written across her features.

"Do you want to sleep for a few hours?" she asked quietly, her thumbs making small circles against Quinn's knees. "Or did you want some food? I can make something," she gnaws at her lip as though considering their options. "Or we could be really bad and order a pizza," Rachel said wearing a smile that suggested she had proposed they take illicit drugs and have a sex party.

Quinn shook her head at the other girl although couldn't help but grin back all the same, "I really think I need to sleep for a few hours. Do you think we could maybe eat something later? Or you can eat now if you want and I'll have a sandwich or something later." she blushed a little as she fumbled over her words. "Um, I'm not sure we have much that's vegan friendly but you're welcome to anything that you find."

Rachel smiled at her blush and walked away in the direction Quinn had gestured as the way to the kitchen, to see what she could find. Quinn could here doors opening and closing. There was the distinctive sound of a glass being pulled from a shelf and then running water as Rachel turned on the kitchen tap.

Quinn could feel her eyelids tugging down with exhaustion as she listened to the familiar, domestic sounds emanating from the kitchen. She considered just lying down and falling asleep where she was. The couch was familiar and comfortable. The cushions were the ones that she loved snuggling into on lazy Sundays watching movies. She stayed sitting up though as she remembered that her face and the back of her shirt would be caked in dried blood. She should go have a shower but she hesitated as she listened to Rachel humming quietly to herself.

From the kitchen, she heard that funny hollow crack sound which meant Rachel had opened the fridge door. There was the sound of jars being shifted around on a glass shelf before a small yelping noise pulled Quinn unsteadily to her feet and racing to the kitchen.

When she got there she saw Rachel sucking on her finger.

"What happened?" Quinn asked urgently, rushing over I inspect Rachel's injury.

Rachel allowed her arm to be tugged down as she replied sheepishly, "An opened tin jumped out and bit me."

"A what?" Quinn looked into the fridge suddenly worried that the condiments might have come alive.

Rachel giggled at her sudden movement, "It's nothing to be alarmed over," she said smiling. "The tin of peas just had a rough edge and I was silly enough to touch it."

Quinn looked from the fridge to Rachel. Her warm brown eyes glittered with the same smile that was in her voice. Quinn melted a little. When she was forced to look away by her own awkwardness she realised that she was still holding Rachel's injured hand with both of her own. There was a shallow cut across the tip of her index finger which was leaking a line of shining blood.

Quinn's eyebrows crinkled together in concern, "Now I've maimed you," she said in a sad voice.

Rachel laughed brightly and withdrew her hand gently. Quinn finally returned to her senses and retrieved the small first aid kit from the top of the fridge. Pulling out the antiseptic wipes and band aids, she demanded that Rachel sit on the bench so she could tend to her dreadful wounds. Rachel smirked as she made the rather substantial leap to situate herself on the kitchen bench.

Quinn tried to hide the blush on her cheeks as she places herself between Rachel's knees and took her hand. The light was legitimately better at this angle and their new position was just a bonus as far as Quinn was concerned. Quinn leaned her hips against the edge of the bench-top and lined up her supplies beside Rachel.

She cleaned the blood away from Rachel's finger with the antiseptic wipes and applied the bandaid with quick movements, "As your doctor I recommend lots of bed rest and a few trashy movies," Quinn said with a smile, resting her forearms against Rachel's legs.

She was fully prepared to back off if Rachel showed any signs of discomfort. So far Rachel seemed completely at ease with Quinn and her new found flirtatiousness, inspecting the bandaid on her finger curiously. Quinn had never before had much patience for flirting, usually only indulging guys who could enhance her image and her popularity. Rachel had managed to turn her into such an opportunistic flirt. Quinn looked into her face, searching for some explanation.

Rachel lowered her bandaged hand and smiled down at her. Quinn felt the rising urge to kiss her but also knew that it would be an exceedingly bad idea. Rachel has a boyfriend and given how she had reacted earlier that morning Quinn knew that she would probably achieve nothing except a lonely night of keeping herself awake if she made another pass at her. Quinn tried not to frown at her own conclusion.

With the feel of Rachel's smooth skin under her arms, Quinn consoled herself with a new idea. Flirting...totally free game when it comes to this girl she obviously has some feelings for. If flirting is all her conscience will let her do then, well.

Rachel Berry would get to experience a _very_ flirty Fabray

Quinn looked down at the bandaid on Rachel's finger, "Does it still hurt," she asked. "Do you need me to kiss it better?" she added with a smirk.

Rachel rolled her eyes and shoved at Quinn's shoulder, "I should be asking you," she said with concern returning to her features. "you were ready to pass out just before. Do you still want to sleep?"

Quinn sighed. She had momentarily forgotten her exhaustion and pounding headache. Rachel seemed to have a certain anesthetic effect on her. Now that Quinn had been reminded though, she realised that she really needed to go lie down before she fell down. She nodded and stepped away to help Rachel back to the floor.

Rachel refused to allow Quinn to assist in her descent, "I have had plenty of opportunity to practice falling from high things, Quinn. The truck you saw me driving has been my primary method of transport for over 18 months now. Plus your complexion is such that I am concerned my weight would potentially cause you to fall down."

Quinn scoffed. Rachel looked like she weighed about as much as a rag doll. Rachel gave her a pointed look as she slipped from the bench and onto the floor, bearing only a passing resemblance to a birthing giraffe on this occasion.

Quinn couldn't help but smile at Rachel as she straightened her skirt and checked her hair. The trip to the floor had obviously been _somewhat_ traumatic.

"What?" Rachel asked when she noticed Quinn's grin.

"Oh nothing," she said teasingly. "Probably just the concussion."

Rachel's expression changed quickly from amused to concerned, "Quinn if you're in a lot of pain you need to tell me. The doctor said to keep an eye on you and bring you back to the hospital if you were experiencing any ongoing symptoms."

Quinn closed her eyes at the feel of Rachel's cool hand on her forehead. When the same hand slid down to rest against her cheek she opened her eyes. Before Quinn could convince herself that she could see something more than friendly concern in Rachel's eyes she pulled Rachel's hand away from her face. She kept a loose hold on the hand and turned towards the entry to the kitchen.

"I'll show you where we're sleeping," she said over her shoulder as she pulled on Rachel's hand to make sure she was following.

Quinn made her way carefully upstairs and to her room, mindful of how her balance seemed to have been affected by the bump on the head.

Rachel paused half way up the stairs to coo at the adorableness of Quinn's baby photos hanging there. She pointed one of a four year old Quinn with her mother, "You look a lot like her," she said with a smile. "You both have lovely eyes."

Quinn smiled at the compliment, reminding herself that Judy had after all been a beauty queen in her youth.

Quinn hesitated to open her bedroom door when they reached it, not able to remember what state she had left it in. Forcing Rachel to wait outside, she let go of the other girl's hand and slipped into the darkened space. Thankfully it wasn't too bad. She clicked on a lamp then grabbed the few articles of clothing that were scattered across her floor and bed, shoving them unceremoniously into the cupboard. She performed another sweep and decided that the clutter on her desk would just have to stay where it was. She opened the door for Rachel. Who was not on the other side.

She stepped back out into the hallway spinning around to find where she had wandered off to. The small panic Quinn felt was wholly unnecessary as Rachel was just off to the left, looking at the larger framed photo of Quinn with her date for Senior Prom.

"You look beautiful together," Rachel noted quietly. "My dads have a similar photo of Finn and I before our Prom," she glanced back towards Quinn before turning again to the photo, "You're so beautiful, Quinn," Her voice had a faraway quality. "Were you prom queen?"

Quinn stepped closer to Rachel and looked up at the photo. Of course she had been Prom Queen. She had worked her entire highschool career to win Prom Queen. She had chosen her date based on his status and likelihood to win Prom King. In the end of course the victory had felt entirely hollow. It was a popularity contest. Nothing more than a manipulation of her classmate's emotions and prejudices.

Rachel turned to her, still waiting for a response. Quinn just shrugged, "Does it matter?"

Rachel smiled, "It certainly does. If I made out with the Prom Queen of Carmel then this is something I need to know." She said it with such a mischievous glint in her eye that Quinn couldn't help but laugh along with her. She wondered how Rachel could be so blasé about their kisses now when she had been so torn over them just that morning.

Quinn rearranged her expression to match Rachel's amusement as she said, "Well in that case, yes I was Prom Queen. We're you?" she said it without thinking and Rachel looked at her as though she had lost her mind.

Quinn felt immediate relief when, after a beat Rachel laughed and looked at her feet. "No Quinn, I was not Prom Queen," she gave a self deprecating smile and rolled her eyes, "I'm afraid my classmates never really became accustomed to my—as Santana would put it—diva attitude and delusions of grandeur." she glanced back towards the photo, "No, I was never meant for high school royalty." she ended with a sigh.

_You're meant for so much more._

Quinn wondered again how she had ever deluded herself into thinking that all the popularity stuff had been worth her time. Rachel glanced between Quinn and the photo one more time before taking Quinn's hand and guiding her back to the bedroom. When she stepped inside she let out a little sound of surprise. Her eyes moved over the music posters scattered across the walls, the massive stereo in the corner and the stacks of records beside it. She stepped forward and inspected the rest of the room. There was nothing as interesting as Quinn's stereo and sound system though so Rachel ended up back there.

She knelt down in front of the records and flicked through the first couple she reached. She turned back to Quinn with a look of elated surprise. Quinn shuffled her feet nervously. No one had been in her room since she had set it up to display her full love of music. She had promised herself that she wouldn't ever hide herself like she had in school but it was still nerve-wracking to have someone in her space and looking at this part of her.

When Quinn finally looked up from her feet, she found Rachel studying her curiously. Quinn felt her cheeks flush but then pale as she felt a sudden bout of dizziness. She grasped at the door frame and Rachel leapt to her feet, seeing Quinn's discomfort. Quinn felt Rachel's arm wrap strongly behind her back as she was guided to her bed and forced to sit down. The comforter let out a poof noise as she landed.

Rachel pushed Quinn's hair back from her face as she went down on one knee to look Quinn in the eye, "We need to wash this blood away," she looked towards the door that led to the ensuite and back to Quinn. "Do—do you want me to help you?" Her words are hesitant and Quinn felt a blush flood her cheeks as she thought about showering with Rachel.

Quinn gulped once as Rachel's cheeks coloured a little as well, "Um...maybe if you could wait here and I'll call if I need."

Rachel let out a breath that she must have been holding, "Okay, but you have to call me if _anything_ happens. If you feel light headed at all just let me know."

Quinn nodded and stood up from the bed. The bout of dizziness had gone as quickly as it had hit her so she was able to move relatively quickly to gather a pair of sweats and an old T-Shirt to get changed into.

Rachel smiled at Quinn and reminded her that she would be right outside the bathroom if Quinn needed anything at all. Quinn blushed once again at the idea of Rachel being so close to her while she was naked. Even if there was a door between them.

All salacious thoughts fled her mind when she turned on the light in the bathroom and saw her face. She was an absolute mess. Like something out of a horror movie. Her blonde hair was caked in dark, dried blood and there were streaks of dried blood all around the edge of her hairline and down her neck. She twisted in the mirror and gasped at the stain that covered most of her back, ruining her favorite T-shirt and most likely her jeans as well. The sheer amount of blood that had managed to leave her body through the back of her head was incredible. No wonder she felt dizzy. Quinn was surprised there was any blood left in her body at all.

Peeling away her clothes, she grimaced at where the dried blood stuck to her and scratched at her skin. She threw her ruined clothes into a pile in the corner and turned on the hot water. She wanted the steam to fog up the mirror so that she wouldn't have to look at her messy self any more.

She checked one more time that the bathroom door had shut behind her before she pulled away her underwear and climbed into the shower. She quickly scrubbed the blood fro her face and body, using a loofa and body wash to, hopefully scrub away any stain on her skin.

She turned in the spay of hot water for a few moments trying to decide how to tackle the job of cleaning her hair. She knew it would hurt. Probably a lot and she didn't think she would be able to do much without making some noise that would bring Rachel into the bathroom.

Finally, she settled for gently running her wet fingers through her hair closest to her face and working her way back towards her stitches. When the stinging became a fierce ache Quinn gave up, figuring the doctor would have surely gotten the worst of the blood cleaned away when he put the stitches in.

Quinn turned off the water and stepped away from the tub. She towelled off quickly and got dressed, careful to keep her balance as she had to bend over to dry and to pull on her pants. The last thing she wanted was to overbalance, fall over and have Rachel running into the bathroom while her pants were down.

Finally opening the door and returning to the bedroom, Quinn found Rachel kneeling in front of her records. Even as Quinn stood in the doorway, she saw Rachel pull out one record, read the back and replace it for another. Quinn wonders for a moment if she should feel uneasy about Rachel's inspection. When Rachel pulls out Cyndi Lauper and replaces it with a smile Quinn knows that she has nothing to worry about.

"Do you have any at home?" Quinn asks curiously.

Rachel jumps a little as though she hadn't expected Quinn to return so soon, "Yeah, or at least my fathers have a few records from when they were teenagers," she answered hesitantly.

Quinn nodded, smiling.

Rachel replaced the record she was looking at and stepped away from Quinn's collection, "Do you feel better?"

"Yeah, clean is good," Quinn answered simply, moving towards her bed.

Rachel followed and sat beside Quinn on her bed. Quinn fiddled awkwardly at her comforter looking for something appropriate to say.

Rachel smiled at her reaching around to pull the comforter and sheet down and away from the pillows. Quinn clambered under the blankets, more than ready to sleep. She was careful to position herself without affecting her bandaged head wound.

Rachel tugged Quinn's blankets a little higher under her chin and leaned forward to push Quinn's bangs to one side and kiss her forehead. Quinn's heart seemed to speed up and slow down simultaneously at the action. The expression in Rachel's eyes was far away, as though she was deep in thought about something. Quinn wondered if Rachel had kissed her on an unintentional impulse. She also wondered if it would be a good thing or a bad thing if Rachel had kissed her by accident and without thinking about it. The hammering in her heart and the blush in Rachel's cheeks made her think that it could only be a good thing.

Rachel smiled and Quinn couldn't help but smile back as she felt Rachel's hand against her cheek again, "Sweet dreams, Quinn," she said quietly. "I'll wake you up in a few hours okay?"

Quinn tried to nod but her eyes were already closed and sleep overcame her


End file.
